A document released under the OIA described the department’s visitor network as “unaffordable”, saying it had only about 70% of the funding it needed to maintain the network.

The document outlines that the increasing costs of maintenance and repair along with DOC’s limited ability to recover costs from users because of constraints of the Conservation Act as drivers of the shortfall. DOC can charge only for facilities such as huts and campsites, which bring in only 10% to 15% of the total cost of the network.

DOC heritage and visitor director Cat Wilson said ageing infrastructure was adding further pressure. Many huts had been around for a long time and were now coming to the end of their structural life, requiring significant repairs and replacement work.

Since 2021, DOC has issued at least 2300 closure alerts, with nearly three-quarters linked to storm damage and environmental deterioration. Most were temporary closures. However, 201 tracks and 58 huts were permanently closed or removed.

FMC president Megan Dimozantos said the word “closed” had a specific legal meaning under the Conservation Act and carried a high threshold. FMC members had reported dozens of closures they believed did not meet that threshold. Read more from The NZ Herald.

Gold mine on conservation land in Golden Bay denied permit

A planned gold mine on conservation land in Golden Bay will not go ahead after the government turned down its permit.

Australian mining company Siren Gold planned to extract billions of dollars of gold at Sams Creek in the Upper Tākaka Valley and applied for a mining permit last March.

It faced opposition from the Golden Bay community and those concerned about the effect on Te Waikoropupū Springs, with activists locking themselves to the main drilling rig in a recent protest.

National manager of petroleum, minerals and offshore renewable energy, John Buick-Constable, said it would not comment further on why permit applications were declined, due to commercial sensitivities. In a statement, Siren Gold said it was reviewing the decision and assessing its options.

Sams Creek Collective, which was formed in opposition to the mine, said the decision was “the best news of the year” and that they “Believe that local opposition has played a strong role in achieving this result and thank everyone who participated. For nearly two years, SCC ran a sustained campaign to ensure that MBIE was aware of public interest and opposition.” Read more from RNZ.

New Oturere Hut on track for Great Walk season

Construction of Oturere Hut on the Tongariro Northern Circuit is on schedule for the start of the Great Walk Season in October, but Mangatepopo Track remains closed after last year’s fires. 

With the damaged section unavailable this coming summer, the Tongariro Northern Circuit will operate as an end-to-end tramp between the Mangatepopo Rd end and Whakapapa Village.

Principal ranger Jenny Hayward said it would still be a Great Walk experience, and contractors had been working hard during every good weather window to deliver the new hut on time.

Ngāti Hikairo ki Tongariro and DOC have worked together to design the new 28-bed hut, which they say will improve the experience and safety of walkers on the Tongariro Northern Circuit.

With the opening of the new hut, the Tongariro Northern Circuit will resume its Great Walk status after a hiatus last season. Read more from The NZ Herald.

Farmers blast Great Taste Trail route plan

Two farmers say a proposed reinstatement of Tasman’s Great Taste Trail through farmland via a paper road will disrupt stock, damage land, and make their work “incredibly difficult”.

One of two farmers who presented to a Tasman District Council committee last week said the proposal was “a permanent liability” to his operations and “environmental abuse”. Another farmer said that the cycleway proposal would “effectively cut our farm in thirds”.

Ange van der Laan, Top of the South regional field advisor for the Outdoor Access Commission, acknowledged that landowners adjoining paper roads generally provide “excellent” maintenance of their land and benefit from its unchallenged, free use. “Neither of these confers a right of occupation or ownership.”

Nicky McBride, tour director at Wheelie Fantastic Cycle Tours, said the

On-road sections were unpopular, and the on-road detour route on the trail had seen people shorten or cancel their tours, limiting the contribution they would otherwise make to the regional economy.

The Nelson Tasman Cycling Trails Trust chair, Gillian Wratt, agreed, highlighting the independent estimate of $34 million of regional benefits for the 2024-25 year. Read more from RNZ.

Sweeping Canterbury views from new track

A small volunteer-led community’s dream to create a high-country trail in Canterbury has finally been realised.

Ashley Gorge Skyline Trail was completed in March after five years of planning, negotiating and surveying by the Ashley Gorge Tracks Group.

The 4–5 hour loop climbs around 800m to a skyline viewpoint with 360-degree views as far as Pegasus Bay and the Port Hills and inland to the Torlesse and Puketeraki ranges. The trail connects to an existing network of walking tracks. 

A walkway easement, created across freehold land adjoining the Mt Thomas Conservation Area, has allowed public access around the entire loop. Read more from Wilderness.

Improvements on the way for Wānaka track

Wānaka local and Puzzling World owner Stuart Landsborough formed the Rocky Mountain Track in 1993, after a visit to Diamond Lake which sits below. Mr Landsborough said he “bush-bashed” and found a route right to the top realising it could be a viable track.

Over time and hundreds of visits, the track was created “bit by bit”. “Every time it rained part of the track got washed away and that’s why even now it’s in really bad condition.” 

Mr Landsborough does not walk the track any longer because of his age but has donated $100,000 to the restoration project to ensure it continues to have a place in Wānaka’s great outdoors.

The Upper Clutha Tracks Trust has fundraised around $40,000 to support the work, while the Department of Conservation is contributing materials and staff time. The trust is now seeking a further $50,000 to complete the upgrades.

DOC Central Otago operations manager Charlie Sklena said the project showed what was possible when DOC and the community worked in partnership. Read more from the Otago Daily Times.