Blue Spring busy despite swim ban
Visitor numbers are once again climbing at Puta¯ ruru’s Blue Spring after a 2016 ban on swimming saw visitor numbers steadily drop.
At its peak in January 2016, 8949 people visited the spring. But those numbers dropped dramatically after swimming in the spring was banned in August that same year dropping to under 3000.
However, South Waikato District Council group assets manager Ted Anderson said the decline appeared to be easing.
‘‘Since the initial interest that was pushed through by social media from December 2015 to April 2016 there has been somewhat of a decline in the use although there have been more people using it in April, May and June this year than [those months in] either of the two previous years,’’ he said. ‘‘In a way there has actually been a resurgence in interest.’’
In April, 2018, more than 5000 people visited the site which dropped back slightly in May to around 4000.
Puta¯ ruru councillor Gray Baldwin said it was important the council didn’t lose focus on capitalising on the attraction.
‘‘We have just launched the Puta¯ ruru Growth Plan and this is our most important and iconic tourist attraction in Puta¯ ruru,’’ he said.
Baldwin also questioned whether anything had been done to address vehicle break-ins at the site.
That comes after police revealed in March that every two to five days a vehicle was being broken into.
Anderson admitted it hadn’t been a key focus.
‘‘We will try and work with our partners on that. To be honest it hasn’t been much of a priority right now.’’
He said the Leslie Rd entrance continues to be more popular over the more visible Whites Rd entrance.
Senior Sergeant Jason Henderson said break-ins have since dropped off in the area but police continue to monitor it.
‘‘We haven’t had anything up there for a little while. We have done a bit of plan around working with the council and landowners up there to see what we can do to prevent it in the future.’’