A group of interested parties has spent the past 12 months working on a solution for keeping the road to the historic goldmining site safe and open to public vehicle access.
Mahu Whenua tracks advisory group project lead Kevin Marlow said he got involved after attending a meeting of stakeholders in May last year.
Prompted by a Queenstown Lakes District Council decision to stop funding maintenance and repairs to the road, the group discussed options for the best way forward.
Without maintenance, the road would deteriorate and become dangerous, Mr Marlow said.
There had also been ongoing issues with vandalism and "hoon" activity by motorcyclists and four-wheel-drivers.
"If we don’t do anything, it’s going to end up being closed forever."
He had been working with representatives from the council, Herenga a Nuku Outdoor Access Commission, Department of Conservation, pastoral lessee Soho Property Ltd, QEII National Trust, Arrowtown Village Association and the Queenstown Trails Trust.
Their goal had been to ensure continued access for walkers, mountainbikers, 4WD enthusiasts, horse riders, mining claim holders, LandSAR and voluntary groups for the likes of heritage protection and pest control.
Mr Marlow said legal public access and maintenance had been issues since the road was completed in 1884.
Initially a pack track for miners after the discovery of gold in the Arrow River in 1862, the 15km unsealed road was completed 22 years later, but has never been gazetted as a legal road.
It has several river crossings, passes through the steep-sided Arrow Gorge and is challenging even for 4WD vehicles.
However, it is the only way into Macetown, which is regarded as one of the most intact historic goldfield towns in Otago.
With the support of the New Zealand Four Wheel Drive Association, Mr Marlow devised a fee-based online permit management system to manage 4WD and off-road motorcycle access.
A combination-locked vehicle gate would be installed, along with a "squeeze barrier" to allow unrestricted access for walkers and cyclists.
Walkers, cyclists, horse riders and other recreational users would have free access.
There would be discounted annual passes for Queenstown Lakes district vehicle users.
The revenue from the fees would pay for an annual programme of road maintenance and improvements, Mr Marlow said.
The gate would be remotely monitored with a CCTV camera with number plate recognition.
The plan was to "soft launch" the system this October, with free access initially for vehicle users, before introducing the paid permits at a later stage.
"That’ll give us more data about how many are going through and hopefully encourage people to start respecting the area better."
Meanwhile, the council will continue work on establishing easements across the pastoral lease and Crown riverbed sections of the road to allow enduring public access.
