Delay for national park plan review
A recreational development group has become frustrated as the Department of Conservation delays a plan review for the biggest national park in the country.
The Fiordland National Park management plan was set for review in 2017 but will now start in 2018.
The plan is the guiding document for Fiordland National Park managers, commercial operators and the public when considering the future uses of park.
In the Southland Conservation Board’s annual report, board chairman John Whitehead says the board’s biggest disappointment during the year was being unable to start the review this year.
The board had placed the review as a top priority in its work plan, Whitehead wrote.
‘‘We hoping that there will be sufficient department planning staff available to begin the review in early 2018.’’
Fiordland Trails Trust chairman Dr Stephen Hoskin said it was a bit of a hold up that the review had been put off until next year.
The trust was waiting for the review to make a change to the park plan to allow bikes on trails, Hoskin said.
Mountain biking is not permitted on any walking tracks within Fiordland National Park and is only allowed on formed roads.
About 3km of the Lake 2 Lake trail from Te Anau to Manapouri was inside the boundaries of the national park.
The broad plan the trust had when it knew the plan was due for review in 2017 was that it would build the trail from Bay Rd to Manapouri this summer and then complete the linking section through the national park next summer, Hoskin said.
‘‘There are other projects we can pursue but our top priority has been to finish Te Anau to Manapouri.’’
Second on the list of projects for the trust was looking at creating a trail from Te Anau to Te Anau Downs.
‘‘That’s easy in a sense for the first half because again it’s outside the national park, but once again at Boundary creek halfway up the lake we’ll hit the Fiordland National Park boundary.’’
The main trails the trust wanted to construct would end up going through the national park, Hoskin said.
DOC management planner Robyn Roberts said planning for the review of Fiordland National Park Management Plan was under way and meetings with the Otago and Southland conservation boards and Kaitiaki Roopu were already taking place.
‘‘The purpose of these early meetings is to clarify the roles of the statutory review process, how all parties will work together, and identify management considerations and matters that have been raised with iwi and the boards by the community.’’
This initial planning ensured the team could undertake robust pre-draft consultation with the wider community.
As the Fiordland National Park and Mt Aspiring National Park shared borders, both reviews needed to happen simultaneously to ensure cross-boundary matters were addressed, Roberts said.
DOC is currently undertaking several other reviews at the same time.
‘‘DOC is comfortable that there is adequate resourcing to support these significant management planning resources.
‘‘However, more resourcing would be considered if required,’’ Roberts said.