27 August 2013

Boardwalk removed on remote lakes track

A 100 metre long boardwalk has been removed from a walking track in the Parangarahu Lakes area of East Harbour Regional Park following the winter storms that have hit Wellington.

The lakes are a hidden gem on the Pencarrow Coast and owned by the Port Nicholson Settlement Trust /Taranaki Whanui and jointly managed with Greater Wellington Regional Council.

The boardwalk crossed the Gollans Stream wetland, upstream of Lake Kohangatera. It was part of the Lakes Block Circuit that is popular with mountain bikers and walkers looking for a more remote experience.

Regional Council Parks Manager Amanda Cox says the boardwalk was overtopped by floodwaters, which also wedged a large mat of wetland vegetation against the boardwalk.

“The flood altered the course of the stream, from one that flowed benignly under the boardwalk to one that is constantly pushing a big mat of vegetation up against it. Because of this the boardwalk and the vegetation became kind of a living dam.”

Mrs Cox says this storm and the possibility of more like it in the future mean that the Regional Council doesn’t plan to reinstate the boardwalk.

“Many of the predictions we hear are for more extreme weather events. We know this stream can rise quickly and we want to minimise the chance of floods as a result.”

The affected area has recently re-opened now that the Regional Council has addressed the problems with the boardwalk and vegetation buildup.

Te Roopu Tiaki (the management group established through the settlement legislation to provide the management plan) will consider other track routes that will allow visitors to continue to enjoy that part of the Parangarahu Lakes Area.

ENDS

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