South Waikato councillor Kerry Purdy has called for a temporary closure of Te Waihou (Blue Spring) until solutions for the tourist attraction’s long-standing issues are found.
By Bronson Perich of Local Democracy Reporting
More than 100,000 tourists have visited the attraction since last year, the South Waikato District Council says but, with that number, also came a range of concerns, especially about hazardous parking.
The council has warned heavy visitor traffic expected at Labour Weekend could create safety issues.
The Government last month allocated funding from its International Visitors Levy to upgrade infrastructure at Te Waihou, but it has not yet been decided what changes will be made.
Purdy, who represents the Tīrau ward, said she wanted a plan in place to cater for the future of the springs.
"If we’re going to keep touting [Te Waihou Blue Spring] as a tourist attraction, let’s make sure that it’s run properly, that it’s safe," she said.
What are the issues?
The springs, located off State Highway 28 near Putāruru, are famed for their clear water and popular 4.7km walkway.
The walkway closed in 2023 after a rockfall and slip, and fully reopened in July last year.
Since then, the number of tourists visiting has more than doubled.
Visitors have been dumping rubbish in the onsite composting toilet, throwing coins into the water and parking in no-parking zones on the state highway, a January council statement said.
Purdy recalled a recent situation where tourists parked on a nearby tanker track.
"Here comes the tanker to pick up the milk, but he couldn’t get in, and it’s a state highway," she said.
Purdy said she is concerned for residents and tourists.
"I’m concerned about the road, I’m concerned about the people using it."
Funding boost
Purdy said local ratepayers had spent too much money on managing the springs for next-to-no return.
"I just think we need to stop; not pay horrendous amounts this summer for traffic control and portaloos," Purdy said.
The council spent $2.1 million upgrading the walkway in 2023 as part of work to clear the rockfall and divert the path away from an unstable cliff.
Visitors have been using the walkway and carpark for free since it opened more than 26 years ago.
Last month, Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston announced the South Waikato District Council would receive $675,000 to help fix issues at the spring.
"Protecting the future of these tourism assets ensures they remain visitor drawcards … as well as something for local communities to enjoy," Upston said.
The investment will support the council and local iwi Ngāti Raukawa to make improvements, which could include: extending the main Leslie Rd carpark and new public toilets, technology infrastructure to support future visitor management options, and park-and-ride services.
The council would work with Raukawa to decide which options would be implemented.
In the interim, a council spokesperson told Local Democracy Reporting they will deploy more portaloos, rubbish bins and a traffic management team to Te Waihou for Labour Weekend.
A note on the council’s website discouraged buses and large vehicles from visiting the springs over the long weekend for safety reasons, with heavy traffic expected.
"There is extremely limited parking and visitors may experience delays," it said.
Raukawa Settlement Trust chairperson Kataraina Hodge welcomed the investment from central government, saying Te Waihou needed to be cared for.
"It is important that the health and mauri of the awa (river) remain at the centre of how the site is managed," Hodge said.
"Decisions around access, infrastructure and the visitor experience must support the long-term protection of this taonga."
Waikato Regional Council chairman Warren Maher, who previously called on the Government to allocate some of the International Visitors Levy back to local councils to maintain sites such as Te Waihou, said he was "over the moon" for South Waikato.
"So great to see some actual government money coming into the space, and it was out of the levy," Maher said.
The potential upgrades the Government’s funding could help implement were developed by consultancy firm Veros.
Veros was engaged by the South Waikato District Council after a March meeting, when elected members started the process of establishing a long-term plan for the springs.
In September, Veros conducted a workshop with the council and a delegation from Ngāti Raukawa and presented them with potential options.
– LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air
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