Heaphy Track work ‘not for vehicles’

Press, 15 January 1982, Page 5

Heaphy Track work ‘not for vehicles’

poison reporter

T! Forest Service was relating the Heaphy Trf. not pushing though a foijvheel-drive track across thSouland Downs, said Mr j.(. Corboy. senior ranger irnvironm'ental forestry in t Forest Service at Nelson.

He was commenting on letters to “The Press’’ within the last three weeks relating to servicing work being carried out on the track. One letter spoke of “a hutservicing road" being built towards the Perry Saddle with the intention of pushing it across the Gouland Downs.

The letter-writer expressed fears that the road would be

used by four-wheel-drive vehicles in future. Another letter-writer expressed similar views. The advisory committee of the North-West Nelson Forest Park had decided that the track be reinstated to

walking standard and that was what the Forest Service was doing, said Mr Corboy. The whole of the track was to be improved but "no way will it be used as a four-wheel-drive vehicle access track," he said. “The whole track has deteriorated and at Gouland Downs in particular it was just a bog-hole. We have retrenched it and resurfaced it and provided some extra drainage for it." said Mr Corboy. About 30 km of track had already been reinstated as good walking track, said Mr Corboy. The work had been carried out from both ends of the track by machinery (miniature tractors) designed to have a impact on the environment. The track was certainly not going to be wdde enough for four-wheel-drive vehicles, he said, and since machinery had to be taken in. the use of helicopters for servicing had not been considered.

“Many trampers had used the track since the work began and they have been most appreciative of what has been accomplished," Mr Corboy said.