A waterslide manufacturer is offering Tauranga City Council a deal to install a $1.9 million waterslide at Baywave – in return for a $50,000 feasibility study in the current year's budget.

The proposal is to turn Baywave into a destination attraction by installing a state-of-the-art waterslide offering the fastest, tightest turns as part of an investment to provide a better return on the ratepayers' Baywave investment.

Tauranga may operate the first Constrictor waterslide in New Zealand.

Tauranga City Council allocated $600,000 last year for an additional tube waterslide at Baywave.

White Water NZ Ltd director Grant Brenton has been in discussion with the city's pool managers, TCAL, on how to better use Baywave's internal space and introduce a signature ride that will provide the ‘wow' factor. In turn this will increase patronage and generate significant revenue.

About $340,000 is needed to supply and install the Aquaplay structure as part of a five year lease option. Plus $860,000 for the signature ride and $700,000 for the tower, infrastructure and landscaping.

Annual revenue generated is expected to be $782,000 says Grant. With annual costs of $276,000, the proposal will generate about $515,000 annual net surplus that can be used to pay off the project in four years. It will then continue to bring in $500,000 each year.

The Aquaplay will fit into the space beneath the existing waterslide, bordering the party area. The suggested ride is a high speed tight-turning high banking inner tube ride called The Constrictor.

It will have an internal access to a 13 metre tall tower, twice the height of the existing slide. The 143 metre slide will have the slide flumes on the outside of the building in full view of the public on the high profile corner site.

The exit chutes will be inside the building ensuring the slide is an all-weather, year round attraction.

The Constrictor is suitable for single and double inner tubes allowing a shared experience, or single ride. The slide has a capacity of 480 riders per hour. It will be the first Constrictor in New Zealand.

The terms proposed are for council to install The Constrictor and Aquaplay for a capital outlay of about $600,000.

Grant is also a director of QE11 Hydroslides Ltd, a company that before the earthquakes operated five hydroslides at QE11 Park in Christchurch. Their experience is the hydroslides patronage was consistently above 20 per cent of the total recreational patronage.

At Baywave a 20 per cent increase means 44,000 extra customers - an additional $207,000 in pool revenue, and more than $500,000 extra revenue from slide users.

The request for $50,000 is so Tauranga City Council can undertake a feasibility study of the validity of the proposal before making a commitment.