Durie Hill elevator closure frustrates resident

A Whanganui resident who relies on the Durie Hill elevator to access town is frustrated the council didn't give him warning about the closure of the Durie Hill elevator.

A fault has been found in the 99-year-old elevator and the Whanganui District Council said it may be closed for between four and six weeks.

"During this period, all mechanical parts will be overhauled and new cables will be installed," the council said on its Community Link page in the Whanganui Midweek.

It's the second time in less than a month there's been an issue with the lift. It was closed a month ago for a week after an inspection found maintenance tasks needed to be done sooner than expected.

Harold Spencer lives on Durie Hill and said he didn't know the lift was shut until he went to use it.

"We've just moved in here and I bought a little mobility scooter and I got approval to use the lift because it was so light," he said.

"[It was] three days before I managed to get down to try it out for the first time. The whole thing was just padlocked with no notice whatsoever - that's when I enquired at the council because I didn't think it was good enough.

"I think there should have been a warning the minute they shut it down to alert those that use it."

He said the lift was the only way for a number of Durie Hill residents, especially the elderly and the children, to get into town and back up the hill.

For the meantime Spencer's wife was driving him up and down the hill.

The council's notice in the Whanganui MIdweek came out on Wednesday but it did put a message on its Facebook page last Friday .

The council has been asked to provide more details about the recent faults the elevator has had.