Blue Spring Walkway repair and maintenance bill tops $2m

Wednesday, 4 December 2024

Putāruru’s Blue Spring provides water to a number of bottling companies, and its popular walkway has been closed for more than a year due to a rockfall.

The cost to repair and carry out planned maintenance on South Waikato’s Blue Spring/Te Waihou Walkway has topped $2m.

The tourist attraction usually welcomes tens of thousands of people a year but has been shut for more than a year after a rockfall. A partial re-opening is scheduled for Thursday.

First estimates for a repair were less than $1m but issues with terrain and the need to build a larger, safer parking area off State Highway 28 saw that bill hit the million-dollar mark.

South Waikato district councillors agreed to bring the walkway’s $1.1m maintenance budget - which was to be spread over three years - forward to save on costs associated with contractors coming and going from the site.

The council’s delivery manager Nick Murphy previously said the council would reduce costs associated with stopping and starting work by competing the entire job while equipment was still on site.

A rockfall closed part of Putāruru’s Blue Spring and Te Waihou Walkway in June 2023.

The track at the Leslie Rd end of the walkway was closed to the public in June 2023 after a rockfall, and will be partially reopened on Thursday when the new, enlarged carpark is completed and a blessing ceremony is held.

Initially, the walkway was scheduled to reopen by November this year.

Murphy said work will be completed in three stages, with stage one being the re-opening of the Leslie Rd entrance.

Stage two would be the partial re-opening of the Whites Rd entrance to the track, and stage three being the full re-opening of the track from both ends by February next year.

“Once completed, we would have caught up on the outstanding maintenance of many years. Barring unforeseen events, it shouldn’t need shutting for the foreseeable future.”

Vehicles parked along State Highway 28 ignoring yellow no parking lines were causing problems for road users before the walkway was fully closed.

The walkway is well known for its pristine water and is popular with locals and tourists alike, seeing approximately 45,000 to 50,000 visitors a year.

Former district councillor Peter Schulte said the final cost was “shocking” and the council should have communicated its plans to the community a lot earlier as local business were suffering due to the uncertainty.

“They did say it would open in November, and we are getting into the holiday season.

“Putāruru businesses are struggling and they need all the customers they can get in these tough economic times.

“People need to have some certainly when it will be open, to make decisions on staffing and things like that.

Putāruru ward councillor Sandra Wallace said she was still waiting on an invite to attend the official opening and blessing, which was scheduled for last week, but “had not heard anything more”.

“It will be a staged opening … I believe businesses are very much looking forward to it opening again .. they have had a pretty tough winter and they need to know.”

She said to the best of her knowledge the budget “had not blown out” but said council communication to residents could be better.

Clarification:** This article has been amended to reflect the split in costs between approximately $1m of repairs to the track, and scheduled maintenance costs of $1.1m. A total cost of $2.1m. Maintenance plans for the walkway were brought forward two years to save money on contractors coming and going from the site and were approved in the council’s long-term plan. Tenders for the work were discussed and approved confidentially by councillors in September and released to the public soon after. To date, there have been no cost overruns. Amended 1.50pm December 4, 2024.**