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By Brendon McMahon, local democracy reporter
The fate of the underground Denniston Experience-tram ride into the historic Banbury Mine has been sealed, seven years after its shock closure when new mining regulations kicked in.
It could instead be redeveloped as part of a “fantastic” new … View moreBy Brendon McMahon, local democracy reporter
The fate of the underground Denniston Experience-tram ride into the historic Banbury Mine has been sealed, seven years after its shock closure when new mining regulations kicked in.
It could instead be redeveloped as part of a “fantastic” new walkway once a new master plan for Denniston was finalised, the West Coast Conservation Board was told on Friday.
The Department of Conservation (DOC) is moving the historic Banbury site – the earliest coal mine on the Denniston Plateau – from 'care and maintenance' status to 'rehabilitation'.
The Pike River disaster in 2011, the year the underground train ride opened, signalled the end for the Denniston tram attraction just five years later. It closed in 2016 when new mining regulations required the operator to have a first-class mine manager's certificate.
DOC Western South Island director Mark Davies told the board it was important to note the vision for the Banbury Mine site into the future would be considered in a broader master plan now being developed for the plateau.
The Denniston master plan would help order priorities by DOC for any further work to enhance the visitor experience, along with protecting the heritage and biodiversity values of the plateau, Davies said.
He had asked for the master plan after a previous “reactive” approach to fixing problems at Denniston, such as the two-time collapse and repair of a stone wall at the brakehead at the top of the incline.
Davies said decisions now for parts of Denniston were essentially about “when is enough, enough?”
“What we've got there is changing priorities.”
After 2017, when the previous Denniston Experience operator surrendered the concession, the department could not find another operator prepared to meet the new regulatory limits to operate. “We had a number of attempts to get a commercial operator in to run the operation, but the costs... The number of visitors were very low -- it wasn't sustainable as a visitor operation.”
A move towards rehabilitation at the former experience site form part of the master plan.
“It's pretty clear to me that a walking track or experience has potential.”
The public has been barred from the Banbury site for now, but under a rehabilitation approach the site could be reconfigured to give visitors “quite a spectacular experience”.
Board member John Taylor said a big problem had been the decision pre-2011 to resurrect a rail-based operation into the old tunnel.
Davies said he was not able to address that, but “walking through is a fantastic experience”.
The Banbury venture began in 2007 and cost $3 million to set up. DOC collaborated in a joint venture with the Buller District Council, Development West Coast, Solid Energy and Friends of the Hill to create a new visitor attraction under a previous enhancement project for the Denniston Plateau.
It was spearheaded by a sudden burst in interest in Denniston in the preceding years after the publication of the novel The Denniston Rose by Jenny Pattrick and subsequent screen adaptation.
“It received very positive reviews and won several awards. It included a short train ride and an audiovisual experience inside the mine, bringing to life the experience of an underground mine for visitors.”
The Banbury site is currently stewardship land recommended for reclassification as historic reserve.
A DOC staff report to the board said there were numerous options available in a “rehabilitation pathway” for Banbury Mine. “This will be one that balances visitor safety, heritage values, finance, and visitor experience.”
*Local Democracy Reporting is Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
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Your plan can change … View moreAnother energy mystery that leaves many of us a tad confused…
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Dear neighbours, every month, NZ Gardener runs a series of reader recipes using a seasonal crop. This month, we're on the hunt for pea recipes! Send your best ones to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz by August 27, 2023. Every published recipe wins a copy of the September issue of NZ Gardener.
Everyone deserves a warm, dry, healthy home – see if you’re eligible for financial support to insulate and heat yours.
Warmer Kiwi Homes is a government grant that offers 80% - 90% of the cost of ceiling and underfloor insulation, and up to 80% off an energy-efficient heater, like a heat … View moreEveryone deserves a warm, dry, healthy home – see if you’re eligible for financial support to insulate and heat yours.
Warmer Kiwi Homes is a government grant that offers 80% - 90% of the cost of ceiling and underfloor insulation, and up to 80% off an energy-efficient heater, like a heat pump. In August, the eligibility criteria were extended so over 50,000 more households are eligible for insulation grants.
And you may get it even cheaper than that - lots of community organisations offer extra funding to reduce the cost further.
Check your eligibility, or check for your whānau.
By local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
When disaster hits the West Coast, people should not expect that help is on the way.
That's the plain warning from Westland Mayor Helen Lash.
She notes that "crystal ball gazing" needs to move to personal action.
"There … View moreBy local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
When disaster hits the West Coast, people should not expect that help is on the way.
That's the plain warning from Westland Mayor Helen Lash.
She notes that "crystal ball gazing" needs to move to personal action.
"There will be no knight in shining armour. It's not going to happen. People need to understand that. The people we're going to rely on is ourselves. Anything other than that is a bonus," Mrs Lash said Monday.
The prospect of a massive Alpine Fault rupture (AF8) is now overdue and lines of communication along the 650km long region including roads, bridges, and power will be completely severed for weeks, if not many months.
A recent presentation to Hari Hari farmers by a river engineer noted the AF8 region-wide reality would be mass collapses of river valleys and hillsides with a total transformation of the landscape.
And those living south of Hokitika and north of Westport are particularly vulnerable due to single road access and some big rivers.
West Coast Civil Defence and Emergency Management group manager Claire Brown said a big focus for West Coast CDEM is "about community development".
Ensuring people in every district had an awareness, knew what they needed to do, and had the plan and contingencies in place were the key pillars, "at the end of it, helping communities to help themselves".
"That takes a lot of time and effort, she said.
"It also begins at home, locally held preparedness in the community you live in, how organised you are, how quickly are you able to coordinate a response."
That included an individual and local plan around finding access external communications.
Brown said fairly major events had already proven the complexities for the region.
The reverberation of Cyclone Gabrielle only reinforced that vulnerability.
"We know that it doesn't take a lot for the roading or infrastructure to be compromised."
Hokitika mayor Helen Lash said her biggest concern is that local residents have yet to overcome a complacency and to take some personal responsibility.
In the event, every little contingency already in place in the various neighbourhoods would be vital for the authorities to understand the bigger picture.
Breaking through that complacency was "flipping hard," particularly when some people held to an expectation that somehow a whole lot of external aid would arrive in an event like AF8.
Lash said she was passionate about an "from the ground up" approach that actually started at home.
"At the end of the day resilience is going to be the number one factor in the ability of communities to cope. Some communities have got on board."
A very impressive example was Harhari getting organised more recently with "a great team there".
They already had the fundamentals for an emergency operations centre in their settlement, and were working on a plan for alternative accommodation in an event for example.
Tools like organising a generator or planning an independent water supply should be happening now, Lash said.
She gave the example of own neighbourhood at Tutaki just south of Hokitika, which was highly likely to be cut off in the loss of the bridge despite its proximity to the main town.
Lash said Franz Josef was another good example of self organisation given what it had experienced in the past decade.
But people in every area urgently needed "to understand" they would be relying on their own resources for some time in a big disaster.
"It's going to rely on everyone pulling their weight."
Dave Murdoch of Tauranga was nominated by Ian Smith for being quite simply, the nicest neighbour!
"Dave next door is the best - we live in an apartment block in the CBD and every day he gets up and cleans the driveway- always puts out everyone’s rubbish bins and scrubs them out every time… View moreDave Murdoch of Tauranga was nominated by Ian Smith for being quite simply, the nicest neighbour!
"Dave next door is the best - we live in an apartment block in the CBD and every day he gets up and cleans the driveway- always puts out everyone’s rubbish bins and scrubs them out every time they are emptied. He cleaned around our pool area after a storm recently as we were busy at work. He is always first to help others whenever he can whether they have an issue with their unit or a stranger having car trouble out on the street - They don’t come better!"
If you have a Nice Neighbour, don't keep it to yourself. You might win a $25 Prezzy® card each and a shoutout on Stuff. Go on, nominate them now!
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins announced the end of the final pandemic-related public health orders which is the mandatory seven-day isolation for people infected and mask requirement in health facilities. For some, it's a welcome change but for others this is a concerning move. How are you … View morePrime Minister Chris Hipkins announced the end of the final pandemic-related public health orders which is the mandatory seven-day isolation for people infected and mask requirement in health facilities. For some, it's a welcome change but for others this is a concerning move. How are you feeling about the changes?
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