Forest & Bird asks to get track reopened

The Waitaki Branch of Forest & Bird has asked the council to work with the Department of Conservation (Doc) to reopen Graves Track along the sea-edge of Cape Wanbrow in its submission to the Waitaki District Council’s 2018-28 long term plan.

The track from Oamaru Harbour to Boatman’s Harbour has been closed  since 2010. Its reopening was initially included in a proposal to establish a zip line from Cape Wanbrow into Oamaru Harbour but Oamaru Adventure Park Ltd director Greg Martin told the Otago Daily Times last year reopening the track was now "off the agenda" because making the track  safe  would be expensive and could disrupt the adjacent Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony.

Forest & Bird asked the council to work with the penguin colony and Doc to conduct pest control on Cape Wanbrow. The group asked the council to ensure "adequate funding" for weed control on the cape including wilding pines. For about 60 years, Cape Wanbrow was used as a pine tree plantation.

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