The sign detailing the truncated Charming Creek walkway, at the Ngākawau end. Photo: Greymouth Star/ Brendon McMahon/ LDR
How the Department of Conservation "rationalises" which tracks to reinstate after natural disasters has been questioned, although its West Coast boss admits it comes down to the money.
At the May meeting of the West Coast Conservation Board, member Di Rossiter of Westport raised the question after DOC staff outlined plans to fix the impact of Cyclone Dovi on some tracks.
Since last February the Heaphy Track great walk has been closed as a through walk after bridges in the central section were washed away -- namely the major Heaphy River Bridge section. The department has in recent weeks begun work on a new two bridge solution with realignment of the track on a higher level.
At the same time several other West Coast DOC tracks were also impacted.
Rossiter said she was interested "in how DOC rationalises and decides" which trails were reinstated.
"I'd be really interested because in the Buller District we've lost a number. People feel that and really mourn that. How is it decided within the (DOC) area?"
In Buller the once highly popular DOC 'best short walk' from Ngākawau to Charming Creek has been closed for three years.
The Denniston bridle track to the plateau and the Britannia Track have also been closed for over a year.
Western South Island director Mark Davies said the 19km Charming Creek walk had been closed "for a long time".
"It is a geological hazard and risk of a scale that it is unsafe," he said.
However the department was aware of Buller concern about Charming Creek, Denniston and Britannia.
This acknowledgement followed a long reply including that about 800 DOC assets had been affected by Cyclone Gabrielle alone recently.
Davies noted the severe impact of Cyclone Dovi on the West Coast and how the department tried to be strategic.
"We are having to look at replacing like for like knowing that it could be lost again," he said.
The Heaphy Track rebuild had been adjudged "a priority recovery" for example.
But it had taken 18 months to formulate -- including future proofing for climate change -- and to get that work underway.
"We're not getting ahead of the game."
DOC was also at the mercy of events outside its control.
The barricaded entrance to the Charming Creek Walkway at Ngākawau Photo: Greymouth Star/ Brendon McMahon/ LDR
The closure of the road into Fox Glacier in 2017 was one example where, "mother nature made the decision for us," Davies said.
"Because of nature, we are having to work through case by case."
With each reinstatement the department hoped to raise the resilience level of assets and climate change and resilience was on the agenda for the upcoming West Coast Conservation Management Strategy review.
Meantime the department needed "to be strategic and tactical" while ensuring "a range of visitor assets".
DOC Greymouth operations manager Chris Hickford said that while tracks may be notified as closed or open "it's not as clear-cut".
For example the Paparoa Track (great walk) damaged by Dovi had meantime been left "to a standard to keep it open".
With the Lankeys and Kirwans tracks closures near Reefton "there was no chance".
"One of the things we have to think about is the standard," Hickford said.
Rossiter doubled down and restated her question to Davies about priorities: "How is it rationalised within an area?"
Davies said it came back to money.
"It's no secret that the department has a ranking system based on its resources," he said.
In Buller, the once highly popular Charming Creek Walkway over 19km from Ngakawau to Charming Creek Valley via the Mangatini Falls has been closed for more than two years.
The department has previously said it was due to an "active and highly dangerous slip" in the lower Ngākawau Gorge close to the Ngākawau township. The northern end of the track is still accessible from Seddonville via the Charming Creek Road.
DOC and contracting staff visit the anchor site for the new Heaphy River bridge on the true right bank. Abseil Access have been awarded to DOC contract to build the two-bridge solution of new bridges across the Heaphy and Lewis rivers after the former lower level Heaphy bridge was destroyed by Cyclone Dovi. Photo: Department of Conservation
Staff from the Department of Conservation Hokitika team recently started work on the foundations for one end of the new Heaphy River bridge replacement. A portable pile driving rig was used to drive two 7m long steel piles under what will be towers for the new bridge on the true left bank of the river. A reinforced concrete pad was then poured for the bridge tower to sit on. In the photos the portable pile driving rig was in action (left) and the reinforced pad was then poured over the top (right). Photo: Department of Conservation
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