Council to secure public walkway access
A boutique Taranaki tour operator believes she can operate on the region’s iconic Whitecliffs Walkway despite a local land owner withdrawing consent to cross his property.
Discover Taranaki owner Cathy Thurston, has been granted a concession by the Department of Conservation to take guided tours along the 14km picturesque path.
Thurston said she still intended to conduct the tours despite Tongaporutu’s Russell Gibbs withdrawing his consent for people to use sections that crossed his farmland.
‘‘There are a number of other options available without crossing his land,’’ she said.
Gibbs withdrew his consent, which was negotiated with DOC in the 1980s, because the deal prohibited any commercial activity along the entire length of the walkway.
Other stipulations included were DOC paying for the walkway’s upkeep and mainten- ance and its lambing season.
The NPDC has been trying to acquire some of Gibbs’ land under the Public Works Act to establish a public road reserve from Tongaporutu through to the historic Te Horo stock tunnel.
Gibbs said he was not aware the council was continuing with its attempts to take the land but vowed he would fight it.
‘‘I thought that they might have given up. We are not giving away commercial concessions.’’
Gibbs believed he had the right closure during to stop the public using the walkway on his land because granting the concession had breached the negotiated deal.
NPDC infrastructure manager David Langford said the council wanted to obtain the land so a new road could be established that wouldn’t require people to cross Gibbs’ property but he didn’t know when it would be complete.
‘‘Legal road reserve is public land and would be owned by NPDC,’’ Langford said.
‘‘It would allow public access from Tongaporutu to the Te Horo Stock Tunnel without going onto privately owned land.’’
He said the council was working with Land Information NZ to finalise a cadastral survey plan.
The Te Horo Stock Tunnel would remain closed to the public due to its condition until maintenance work to provide safe access could be completed.
Thurston said she was no longer advertising dates for the two day $1000 tours on her website.
‘‘Anything arranged would be done in discussion with the people wanting to do the walk.’’