By Ray van Beynen
In early 2023 Cyclone Gabrielle hit the North Island of New Zealand including the Coromandel Peninsula. As a result, the Mautohe Cathedral Cove (MCC) track was closed for almost two years.
Early consultation was poor and it was not until an intervention by the Minister of Conservation, The Hon. Tama Potaka, that work began in earnest and within a few months the MCC was reopened.
Both Rachel MacMillan and Tania Short from DoC are to be commended for their part in consulting widely and listening to their communities. The option of a phased approach with an initial focus on the main MCC track was the option universally favoured with phases 2 and 3, the repair and re opening Gemstone Bay and the Hahei Beach Track the next priority.
DoC then announced that the Hahei Beach track was going to be rerouted because of ‘extensive damage to the Hahei Beach Track.
This year we have suffered another 3 extreme weather events in the main very heavy rainfall. This included the impacts of Cyclone Vaianu. As result DoC are proposing the cancellation of the Hahei Beach track reroute, the decommissioning (closure) of the Hahei Beach Track and the closure of the Gemstone Bay Track. The reasons given were the extensive damage to both tracks and the costs of the repairs.
The reaction from local communities has been swift and pointed. There is widespread opposition to the DoC proposal. In September 2024 in a meeting with Minister Potaka, he referred to the local community as the kaitiaki of MCC.
The local community has deep historical, cultural and educational ties to both Gemstone Bay and the Hahei Beach track. The tracks would have been in operation since the arrival of Ngati Hei. It was in operation during the European settlement of the MCC surrounding area. During that period, it was in legitimate private ownership and most importantly after it was gifted by the Harsant family to the Crown and the people of New Zealand.
The track provides stunning views back across the Hahei beach and valley. It is hugely popular with locals and visitors alike. It has remained relatively unscathed since Cyclone Gabrielle and after Cyclone Vaianu only one major slip at the bottom of the old Hahei Beach was identified.
That slip is easily circumvented and since Cyclone Gabrielle thousands upon thousands have walked this track without incident. Sadly, with the track closures weeds are thriving and regular sights of possums, stoats and feral cats are being reported.
Some of you will recall the tragedy some two years ago where two young persons became stranded on the cliff face below the Hahei Beach Track. One fell to his death and the second was rescued by the Waikato Cliff Top Rescue from the Hahei Beach Track.
The financial costs argument needs closer examination. DoC currently has legislation before the House where they are seeking to charge for entry by foreign nationals onto their estates or should we say our public reserves. The argument is that tourists worldwide are charged for accessing places of great beauty or interest. DoC rightly needs funding to maintain our public reserves but there is a fair amount of devil in the detail.
Most tourists now pay $100 each as part of the International Visitor Levy (IVL) but this does not cover large sections of our incoming tourists including Australians, Singaporeans and our Pacifica cousins. That needs to change. This levy is an easy and relatively painless way of collection and given the volume of tourists, the monies raised would cover a huge part of DoC funding.
The Doc funding proposal includes charging foreigners for access onto public reserves. There are huge difficulties in making this work. How will DoC determine who is a tourist given that our huge immigrant population often appear to be tourists rather than citizens or residents? Will anyone accessing a public reserve be required to present identification proving the New Zealand citizenship or residency?
NZ at present does not require the carriage or production of an identity document other than in specific and very limited circumstances i.e. drivers’ licences or firearms licences.
Our reserves would have to be fenced off with gated and controlled entry points. There is a huge cost to this bot in set up and in operating costs.
A far more sensible approach is to include the current exempt nations in paying the IVL and increasing the amount to $150 per person. This would save considerable angst in charging visitors at each of our public reserves not to mention greatly upsetting locals.
On the subject of common-sense approach DoC should allow the locals to resume their planting, pest and weed control activities and go back completing phases 2 and 3. As local community kaitiaki we are more than willing and capable of looking after and maintaining the Hahei Beach Track and the Gemstone Bay access.
All readers should be rightly concerned by the latest DoC proposal, and they must voice their concerns by making a submission to email address cathedralcove@doc.govt.nz.
Please sign Lis Harsant’s petition calling for these tracks to remain open. The petition in its first week has attracted close to 1000 signatures. It can be found on Whiti Chitchat, the Cooks Beach Community or Hello Hahei Facebook pages.
