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FMC jolt to TA's Tararua route
The Federated Mountain Clubs executive has opposed Te Araroa’s proposed route through the Tararuas.
Previously, just four Wellington-region tramping clubs and 20 individuals had formally opposed the route. Their case was taken to the FMC by the five Wellington members of the FMC executive. FMC President Rob Mitchell said a 14-member meeting of the executive on September 5 was then unanimous in opposing the Oriwa Ridge route.
The FMC represents over 100 mountain and tramping clubs and has 11,000 members.
The proposed route – which requires track formation along the previously untracked ridge and is part of a “Remote Experience Zone” – has divided the tramping community in the Tararuas. The Department of Conservation called for submissions on the proposal mid-August, and two of the largest clubs subsequently decided neither to support nor oppose the route. The General Committee of the Tararua Tramping Club – the largest tramping club in New Zealand – made a formal decision not to take a position.
“We’ve decided to let the FMC represent tramping interests, as we have views within the club for and against the proposal,” said TTC president Chris Munn.
The committee of another large club, the Palmerston North Tramping and Mountaineering Club, was divided on the issue and also decided to leave it to individuals to make submissions according to what they personally thought.
Te Araroa Trust enquired of two Wellington FMC executive members as to how many Tararuas clubs were consulted before FMC decided to raise the Wellington club objections to the level of a national decision. Owen Cox told TAT it was out of line to ask such a thing. Graeme Lythgoe who is FMC’s treasurer, said he had consulted with his own club, the Hutt Valley Tramping Club. Thirteen tramping clubs and six hunting clubs use the Tararuas.
The route was originally planned between Te Araroa Wellington Trust and DOC as an alternative to a route further west, which took trampers onto exposed ridges. Te Araroa Wellington Trust representatives then took the proposed route to meetings with five Tararuas clubs. DOC subsequently received 14 letters, all opposing the route. The Department then opened a submissions process which closed September 18.
FMC President Rob Mitchell said that after consultation with Wellington trampers, FMC believes that alternative routes are possible either to the east or west of the proposed route. He said FMC members have been substantial supporters of the Te Araroa concept over the years and have helped promote routes in other parts of the country. FMC looked forward to a sensible negotiated outcome on the Tararua section.
Te Araroa Trust CEO Geoff Chapple said the regional Te Araroa Wellington Trust had spent months examining alternatives to Oriwa Ridge and being refused access over private land blocks. Te Araroa Wellington Trust members and local trampers had undertaken more than 17 field trials investigating options. They had approached private landowners and worked with the local DOC staff over the past 18 months to find a foothills option or a river/beach trail, but without success. While many landowners were agreeable to allowing individual trampers on their property, not one was willing to give unrestricted access for the trail. The river and beach option involved up to 25kms of road walking and required walking short sections of SH1. This was unacceptable in a national trail, and Oriwa Ridge had become key to a viable and memorable tramping entrance into the Wellington region.
