Waipunga - Pohokura Rd Access Users - help needed

[Clint]

To anybody who has ever accessed Whirinaki Forest Park via the old highway off the Napier-Taupo hwy (Pohokura Rd) & the Waipunga public access easement: It would be great if you could send a short note to DOC to support their efforts to get this re-opened.

2 weeks ago, quoting DOC:

"...OPUS, who manage highways for NZTA, gated off the old Waipunga Rd beside the highway, as well as gating off the bridge over the Waipunga on the TL side.

This was done because Timberlands had an engineering company (Sigma) assess all the bridges and the found Waipunga bridge was unsafe for heavy vehicles, but ok for light vehicles.

NZTA’s response to this was to close the whole road off via the 2 gates"

This was done with no consultation with DOC or anybody, & the local DOC guys are really keen to get this access reopened, even if it means pushing in a ford to bypass the bridge (Yay for them! ) The gate near the road has already been opened to allow access into the DOC land to the west of the Waipunga river.

So if you have ever been through there please send a quick note to tnat@doc.govt.nz saying something along the lines that you have really enjoyed accessing the Whirinaki Forest Park via the Waipunga road, are most concerned that it has been closed, & fully support their efforts to have it reopened.

Cheers
Clint

[ski]

Shit that,s a bastard as the HB guy,s use that access road to access the tracks in the Minginui area. Bloody long way round if you had to come in from the Rotorua end.

[DieselBoy]

Gutted, that's real bad news!!!

So how do we get to all the walking tracks in their now?? Come in via Minginui I guess??

Any how, WAMS.co.nz shows it as a public road, so it's definitely worth making noise.

[Clint]

Shit that,s a bastard as the HB guy,s use that access road to access the tracks in the Minginui area. Bloody long way round if you had to come in from the Rotorua end.

Indeed, it's probably close to an extra 150km. Plus it's a really nice drive over to Minginui from the Waipunga side.

Looking at the gates just after they put them in I would say it would have only taken about 10min on a shovel to get a 4x4 past, so it's highly likely some dastardly nefarious individual has already scraped a track through (no not me, I was on the motorbike & just rode around them )

Of course this doen't mean NZTA wont call in a bigger digger & make it totally impassable in the future so please send a note of support to DOC in favour of a properly open access.

Cheers
Clint

[floyd2004]

Hi Guys

Here is the update I have managed to get:

Well things are looking up. DOC met with Opus/NZTA today and the following outcomes were confirmed.



· NZTA have discovered that they are not responsible for the road, as it is no longer SH and thus now belongs to Taupo DC.

· Both gates will be removed immediately and unrestricted access resumed.

· DOC has had an independent engineering report on the bridge which claims it is safe for loads up to 10 tonnes.



DOC Murupara (Nick Doney) has taken over the case for the department. Following the Opus meeting Nick was off to see Taupo DC. He will send an update to all interested parties in the next few days. Possible future issues include:



· TDC’s attitude to being landed with what they may see as a liability – they could take some convincing of its value and importance.

· Possibility of DOC taking over the section of road and the bridge (they are both effectively surrounded by public conservation land).

· Possibility of DOC seeking to have the road stopped and included in the surrounding conservation land. Pros and cons for this.

[wopass]

Good news!

[Mudde1]

Great news, except not too keen on

· Possibility of DOC seeking to have the road stopped and included in the surrounding conservation land. Pros and cons for this.

This would then mean that access to the road is subject to the whims of the government of the day. With the current governments out look and attitude its probably fine, but should we have a Labour/green coalition could be a very different story. I would prefer to see it remain as a road.
Tony

[Clint]

Great news! I hope someone at NZTA gets their arse kicked for this pointless waste of money & time.

Great news, except not too keen on

· Possibility of DOC seeking to have the road stopped and included in the surrounding conservation land. Pros and cons for this.

This would then mean that access to the road is subject to the whims of the government of the day. With the current governments out look and attitude its probably fine, but should we have a Labour/green coalition could be a very different story. I would prefer to see it remain as a road.
Tony

Leaving it as a legal road would indeed be the best option, but I wouldn't get too stressed about it. The route towards Minginui, in between the public access easements over the timberlands estate, takes in quite a few areas where the road is in the Whirinaki Forest Park anyway.

IIRC it was under the previous govt that the local DOC guys (including the above mentioned Nick Doney) did some great work to open up, or formalise use of, areas of Whirinaki for vehicle & mountainbike access.

Cheers
Clint

[Clint]

Good news on this: There will be some maintenance work done on the bridge later this month then the access will be open for all vehicles under 10 tonne.

Cheers
Clint