Kahurangi NP Management Plan amendment – MTBing the Heaphy Track

In 2011 DoC opened up the winter months from May-September to mountain bikers on the Heaphy Track, as a trial. Investment was poured into upgrading the track, building new bridges and the new Perry Saddle, James Mackay and Heaphy huts. Overall users went up from around 5,000 a year to almost 7,000, of which around 1,700 were most likely mountain bikers.

In 2016, The Department of Conservation proposed an extension of the Heaphy Track’s mountain bike season by three months, from 1 April until 30 November, excluding Easter. NZRA supported the proposed amendment to the Kahurangi National Park Management Plan, to extend the season for mountain biking on the Heaphy Track. However, NZRA did not support the exclusion of mountain biking during Easter.

NZRA notes that whilst reported conflict between user groups is minimal, the Department of Conservation needs to monitor and manage the risk of conflict very carefully.

To that end, NZRA recommends that The Department of Conservation should implement data capture systems that clearly differentiate between mountain bikers and trampers in order to make more informed management decisions in the future.

Taking a wider view, where and how trampers and mountain bikers will share spaces in New Zealand is relatively new territory for DoC – the quality of their decision making is improved when the public are consulted and good quality data is utilised.

To give us your views on this issue, contact our Advocacy Manager.



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