Road to Cape Kidnappers to be re-opened, after slip that injured tourists

The move means Hastings District Council could now face legal action if anyone else is hurt in a slip.

Hastings District Councillors have voted against a recommendation to keep the Cape Kidnappers beach walk closed after major landslides.

Two Korean tourists were injured in the first landslide which occurred in January, with Hastings District Council closing the popular walking track to the gannets and halting Gannet Beach Adventures tractor tours in peak season.

Owner Colin Lindsey told the meeting, at times struggling to speak, it’s been tough on their business and hard conversations will have to be had with their bank manager if the road remains closed.

"Those that know me know that I say it’s better to laugh than cry, and there’s been a bit of crying."

An interim engineering report presented to the council today recommended the road stays shut for six months, until a lengthy quanatitive risk assessment is done along the whole beach.

"The QRA is vital for us to make an informed risk based decision about the future otherwise we are going to be making a gut feel reactive response," Regan Smith from Hastings District Council told the meeting.

But in the marathon meeting, that lasted four hours, councillors decided to reject the advice, 7 votes to 5.

Instead the road will be re-opened with increased signage while the risk assessment is undertaken.

Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst voted against the option, wanting to undertake the risk assessment before opening the road.

"This would help the business, this would help the community as it would help them understand the risk, so I can’t support the amendment."

Councillor Henare O’Keefe was worried the continued closure of the beach would turn the region into a "nanny state".

"There is going to come a day when we are going to be too afraid to step outside our front door."

However, the council's General Counsel Scott Smith warned the councillors about liability before they voted on the decision.

"If someone was to look back in hindsight under a worst case scenario and ask had all reasonable practical measures been taken to manage that risk while you figured out what it was it would be difficult to justify we had."

Even with the road re-opened to tourist tractors the Department of Conservation won't allow access to a section of the gannet colony on conservation land until the assessment is carried out, blocking Gannet Beach Adventures from operating full tours.

A decision which frustrated Colin Lindsey.

"We are actually a concessioner so you could simply say we are in a partnership with the Department of Conservation and this decision of theirs is directly impacting us but no other partners."

Experts have been brought in to assess the coastline above Cape Kidnappers.

Tours to the gannets overland are still available, but the beach tours future remains uncertain.

SHARE ME