Cathedral Cove just received a $5million boost from the Government. Photo / 123RF
Coromandel’s closed Cathedral Cove track will receive a $5 million boost for a rebuild as part of a $25m tourist levy injection for the environment.
Conservation Minister Tama Potaka announced the package on Wednesday, confirming a “short-term fix” for Cathedral Cove, which was expected to reopen in time for summer.
Potaka said the funds would come from a $35 international levy, charged to most international visitors to New Zealand, aimed at “boosting conservation and tourism”.
“Some of the projects include reinstating walking access to the beautiful Cathedral Cove – Mautohe in Coromandel after terrible damage from Cyclone Gabrielle. I have confirmed a short-term fix in time for summer.”
The $25m tagged for conservation would also be distributed to eradicating pests from Maukahuka – Auckland Island.
It was “a key step in more than 30 years of work restoring this Subantarctic World Heritage area”, Potaka said.
The walking track to Cathedral Cove beach has been closed since February last year when it was damaged by extreme weather events. The beach can still be accessed via boat.
Thames-Coromandel mayor Len Salt said it was “great news” after a “frustrating” process in the early days.
“It’s worth flagging that the slow start and lack of information caused some frustrations; there is an opportunity for the Department of Conservation to look at their procedures and learn from this experience.
“The good thing about this is there has been good community engagement following a slow start.”
Salt said he understood DoC had been told “very clearly” the track would be reopened before Christmas.
Coromandel MP Scott Simpson took a swing at DoC over the ongoing closure in April, telling Parliament the department had been “so slow to get that track open”.
On Wednesday, Simpson said: “While water access to Cathedral Cove has remained available, it’s been over 17 months since the walking track was closed. This closure has been felt by local businesses who have dealt with lower visitor numbers and the uncertainty surrounding the track’s future.
“Today’s news should give them confidence that there is plan and budget to get this iconic destination fully reopened for the summer; like everyone, I’m keenly anticipating the day that we will be able to walk to this awe-inspiring part of the Coromandel Peninsula again.”
In May, DoC announced a range of options for the reinstatement of walking access to the beach.
The Coromandel community was then asked to provide feedback through a series of DoC hosted drop-in sessions in Whitianga and Hāhei and through an online feedback portal.
Tinaka Mearns, DoC’s regional director for Hauraki-Waikato-Taranaki, confirmed on Wednesday, after assessment of several options, the department was opting for a temporary walking access reinstatement solution which would see the track available to visitors for summer 2024/25.
“DoC understands the track closure has been a frustrating situation for local residents and businesses; we want to thank them for their patience, we’ve had to work through a complex set of overlapping issues to reach this point.
“Reinstating walking access enables DoC to further support local businesses and the community while working towards more sustainable and careful management of the site. This will be complimented with ongoing work, over the next 12 to 18 months, to develop a long-term visitor management solution.”
Mearns said finding a way to traverse the worst landslide on the track had been a challenge.
Undamaged sections of the track would be reconnected via a new boardwalk and steps across a section of land that was more stable than other potential reroutes.
Steps at the bottom of the track, where it reaches the beach, would also be rebuilt.
“We know the community is keen to see reinstatement occur as soon as possible, but we need to factor in ground conditions, weather, and tendering and procurement processes before physical work can begin,” she said.
As well as the physical work at site to reinstate walking access, DoC would be introducing visitor risk mitigations to ensure safety of people walking the track.
Those mitigations might include advising people not to use the track when weather or geotechnical-related risks were considered too high.
“A level of risk will always be present at this site – landslides and rockfalls will continue to be an ongoing feature of the landscape.
“Underpinning the decision-making and approaches we’re taking is the need to manage risk for the most prominent type of ‘day trip’ visitor at Mautohe Cathedral Cove.”
The Grange Rd carpark in Hahei would remain closed while DoC worked through the practicalities of public access to the reserve.
The carpark received significant surface/foundation damage, slumping and cracking, through extreme weather events and heavy vehicle use.
“The reinstatement option chosen only presents a temporary walking access solution and may not last through extreme storm events like those which caused the damage and forced the closure – such as Cyclone Gabrielle.
“We will be doing some more work on a longer-term solution to develop a visitor management plan, and consultation with the community and stakeholders will be part of that work.”
The planned visitor management work was supported by mana whenua Ngāti Hei, who had voiced concerns about the high level of tourism impacting Mautohe Cathedral Cove and the risk to visitors.
Mearns thanked stakeholders including Thames-Coromandel District Council, Destination Hauraki Coromandel and those who had contributed feedback to DOC’s recent consultation process on reinstatement options.
Thames-Coromandel district councillor and Mercury Bay Community Board member John Grant said it was “terrific, fantastic” news.
“I have been part of a big team to get this to happen.”
Grant said he had taken Potaka’s word that it would be a temporary fix.
Cathedral Cove had been an integral part of Coromandel’s tourism industry, he said, adding its closure had “crippled” many businesses.
“I’ve taken a strong public stand on it and made it clear that we needed more effort from DoC.”
Grant applauded the effort of the Mercury Bay Business Association and their subsequent face-to-face meetings with Potaka.
“I’m really delighted to see that Tama has lived up to the promise to get this open for summer.
“It will mean a hell of a lot to businesses.”
While applauding the announcement, Grant said there was another side to consider in terms of Ngāti Hei and ongoing environmental impacts from tourism.
In October 2023 it was reported the rāhui placed on Cathedral Cove was removed due to non-compliance.
Joe Davis, a Ngāti Hei kaumātua, told Radio Waatea that large rocks, comparable in size to kayaks, plummeted onto the beach after Cyclone Gabrielle and the preceding poor weather in January and February 2023.
Although the sea route was the only permitted access, many individuals bypassed physical obstructions to descend the hillside, Davis said at the time.
“Our international visitors, first of all they don’t know what a rāhui is and they don’t understand the way we do things here in New Zealand.
“They think it’s open slather and they can go down there and do what they like and get that selfie shot down there and they’re prepared to walk through barriers, not bother to read the signs and take heed of the warnings,” Davis told Waatea.
International visitor levy conservation funding initiatives 2024 – funding breakdown:
Glen Wright continues to deny the offending and claims the victims conspired against him.