Council to remediate remainder of Te Mata track

The Hastings District Council is seeking a resource consent to remediate the remaining section of the Craggy Range Track. Photo / File

The Hastings District Council is seeking a resource consent to remediate the remaining section of the Craggy Range Track on Te Mata Peak.

In November, the council conducted urgent work under the Resource Management Act to remove a 500m section at the top of the track after an independent report identified that it was a risk to public safety.

An independent consultant was engaged to prepare a resource consent that will be lodged in early January next year, publicly notified and heard by an independent commissioner, with the aim to undertake the remediation of the remainder of the track as soon as possible.

The cost to the council to obtain the resource consent was estimated at $50,000 and the estimated cost to complete the remediation work is $150,000, which would hopefully return the land to as close to its original state as possible.

Excluding these costs, the total cost of the eastern escarpment project to date for the council is estimated at $450,000.

About $360,000 of the project spend to date relates to the research undertaken for the project, which includes cultural and landscape assessments.

This will also be used for a review of the district plan, which includes determining how wāhi taonga and Outstanding Natural Landscapes could be protected for the future.

Discussions with various community groups who may contribute towards funding the work are continuing.

Hastings mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said the decision would secure a positive way forward for the future of Te Mata Peak's eastern escarpment.

"The council wanted to show leadership to set a clear direction for our community and stakeholders in terms of the future of our beloved Te Mata Peak.

"Council has been working with the Te Mata Track Reference Group, which includes key stakeholders and community groups for over a year, and we have been given a strong message that the community is ready to move on and wants a clear way forward."

The timeframe for how long the publicly notified resource consent process will take is set by the Resource Management Act, and will depend on the number of submissions received, and if the commissioner's decision is appealed.

The resource consent process will need to be completed. Then council can consider any public consultation and identification of any potential future access options to the eastern escarpment.