January 31, 2024
Iwi consulted on Coromandel track options
The Department of Conservation will work alongside Ngāti Hei to develop options for visitor access at Coromandel’s Cathedral Cove.
The track over the hill from Hahei was closed a year ago because of storm damage, and access is now only by boat.
Regional director Tinaka Mearns says based on expert advice from engineering consultancy Tonkin + Taylor it has commissioned further monitoring on whether the hillside is still moving, and where tracks can be rerouted.
The options will be set against the land stability information, DOC’s legislative obligations, cost-benefit analysis and the results of community engagement.
Ms Mearns says Treaty settlement obligations and historic protection aspects also need to be taken into account.
“We’re very aware of the importance of the Cathedral Cove track to the local tourism economy, and also the wide range of views on what can or should be done there,” she says.