Sainsbury Road Reserve is set to reopen this weekend – but Kakepuku Mountain will remain off-limits for the public while further investigations are underway.
Both reserves have been closed since the one-in-250-year storm in February. Repairs were almost complete when Cyclone Vaianu swept through in early April, which although less severe than predicted still caused further damage.
Sainsbury Road Reserve, a well-used destination for horse riders, is expected to open by this weekend. Repairs completed in April included stabilising three slips and replacing a damaged culvert. A slip that needs further work is being fixed this week.
Waipā District Council’s community services manager Brad Ward said to be able to open the reserve, one track will remain permanently closed as the slip there is not able to be resolved.
“We ask that people follow the signs and make the most of the rest of the reserve that can still be enjoyed,” Ward said.
“We understand how frustrating the long closures have been and we know people are eager to explore these spaces again. We really appreciate the community’s patience while we work to make them safe again,” he said.
Reopening Kakepuku Mountain is more complex. Around $14,500 has already gone into repairs, including fixing eroded sections of track, clearing culverts, removing loose rocks and fallen trees, and improving drainage. Higher up the mountain, where tension cracking had occurred, the track was realigned further into the bank and a safety rail installed.
But despite the initial work, further inspections by geotechnical specialists have revealed ongoing stability issues. The latest advice is the track is not yet safe for walking or hiking, with an ongoing risk of slips.
Council is now planning a more detailed investigation to figure out solutions to safely reopen the track.
In the meantime, people are being urged to stay away.
“We’ve had reports of people still heading up Kakepuku while it’s closed,” Ward said. “It’s important everyone stays off the maunga – we can’t have people heading in if there’s risk of slips or unstable ground.”
