Swimming ban no deterrent
Blue Spring visitor numbers are showing no sign of slowing despite efforts to scale back promotion of the area in order to protect it.
In August/September, 25,145 people visited the popular South Waikato spring along the Te Waihou Walkway near Putaruru compared to 13,817 people during the same period in 2017.
It comes after a ban on swimming at the spring in 2016, due to the ‘‘negative impact’’ on the vegetation in the riverbed and on the banks, as well as the visual amenity, which saw visitor numbers dramatically drop.
‘‘We recorded a decline over summer from 2016 to 2017 at the Blue Spring end of the trail,’’ South Waikato District Council parks and reserves manager Phil Parker said.
‘‘We have however recorded an increase in visitors over the winter months, going into spring, comparing 2018 to 2017 at both ends of the trail.
‘‘With the visible improvement of the Blue Spring environment, we are pleased that this increase has not affected the rehabilitation of the area. We are optimistically confident that the ‘no swimming’ messages are bedding down well, without adversely affecting visitor numbers.’’
But Parker said moves have been made to reduce promotion while a sustainable visitor strategy is worked through with local iwi.
‘‘Staff have held several meetings with Raukawa to discuss how best to protect and communicate the cultural significance of this asset for visitors’’.
Raukawa chair Vanessa Eparaima said while she appreciates the opportunities that the spring could bring to the community, protection was the key priority.
‘‘With input and agreement from the local hapu¯ and marae there is potential for environmentally sustainable opportunities at the appropriate time,’’ she said.
She said Raukawa was working through the final stages of the sustainable visitor strategy with the council.