Flood-plagued walking track section to be lifted, armoured

A section of walking track at the southern end of Lake Hayes will be raised and reinforced to protect it from flooding.

Department of Conservation (Doc) Whakatipu wai Māori operations manager David Butt said a 1km section between the boardwalk and Threepwood’s Marshall Ave would be remediated.

A section passing through the wetland will be raised by 10cm and rock armouring placed along exposed track edges.

Wetland planting will be established by the rock armouring to enhance the area’s ecological values, Mr Butt said.

The project, estimated to cost $280,000, will start this month and is expected to be completed by the end of next month.

‘‘If the work is unable to be completed by the end of August, it will restart in April 2027, avoiding the nesting season for the area’s birdlife.’’

The lake’s southern end has been plagued by intermittent flooding for many years, with the track often submerged after high rainfall.

An Otago Regional Council project in 2024 to clear debris from Hayes Creek, which drains the lake, reduced the likelihood of flooding.

However, last November, organisers of the Queenstown Marathon were forced to re-route the marathon course the day before the race because 500m of the track was under water.