Mountain clubs oppose call for glacier restrictions

Photo / Simon Baker

A coroner's call for access to two West Coast glaciers to be restricted after two Australian brothers were crushed to death last year has been described as disappointing by the Federated Mountain Clubs.

In findings yesterday regional coroner Richard McElrea described the deaths of Ashish Miranda, 24, an aerospace engineer, and Akshay Miranda, 22, student, at Fox Glacier as an "unthinkable tragedy".

The brothers were treating their parents to a trip to celebrate their silver wedding anniversary when they were crushed to death at Fox Glacier on January 8, 2009.

The Press reported the coroner said the brothers ignored warning signs, and their actions seemed "predetermined" as other people - probably some guiding groups - were beyond safety barriers in the open riverbed area.

He recommended Conservation Minister Kate Wilkinson "take steps" to create bylaws to restrict or close public access to the terminal face of Fox and Franz Josef glaciers.

Anyone who breached the bylaws could be instantly fined.

Federated Mountain Clubs president Richard Davies said today that the response to the tragic deaths "should not be a knee-jerk, simplistic recommendation to close-off access".

"We can't lose sight of the fact that the Fox and Franz Josef are wild landscapes in a National Park. They are much beloved by climbers, skiers and trampers as well as tourists" said Mr Davies.

"They are beloved because they are wild. This natural landscape is no place for steel barriers and security guards."

He said anyone who chose to visit New Zealand's wild places - even those close to the car - needed to be aware of hazards.

"The Department of Conservation provides education and information about the hazards in popular locations, and they need to be listened to. Guiding companies are also a good option for those who don't have the skills or experience to judge the hazards in places like this" said Mr Davies.

"Hundreds of thousands of people visit New Zealand's conservation lands to enjoy the landscapes, and an experience that is different from what you'll find in the city.

"In some popular places, including the Fox and Franz Josef glaciers, hazards are already fenced off to ensure people's safety. We can't keep building bigger fences."

A Department of Conservation spokesman said the coroner's recommendations would be examined, but it was too early to say if they would be implemented.

- NZPA