Pioneer Energy, which operates a hydro scheme in the vicinity, yesterday closed pedestrian access across its Wye Creek dam and South Branch pipeline — which in turn leads to a helipad and the South Branch waterfall.
Chief executive Peter McClean says public usage has surged in the past 12 months due to social media exposure.
Though the primary purpose of the structures is worker access to the hydro scheme, about 12,000 people a year are now crossing the dam and pipeline.
‘‘At the moment, the track is not at a state where it’s really suitable for the volume of people that are going up there, and also the capability of people that are going up there.
‘‘I mean, we’ve got people going up there with footwear that I’d say is inappropriate to even get up to our assets.
‘‘As a consequence, we have made a decision to close the track while we assess potential improvement options.
‘‘It’s a pretty special spot to be able to share with people, but we’ve got to keep people safe.’’
Signage and a chain were placed there on Thursday, preventing access across the hydro dam, and a gate is being installed at the intake in the next couple of weeks.
Mr McClean said they would undertake work to understand how to make the track safer for public access, ‘‘and then work out what the cost is going to be, and ultimately how to fund it is a challenge’’.
At the earliest, it would be late winter or spring ‘‘before we could actually physically do anything up there’’.
Local Department of Conservation (Doc) manager David Butt said people may not be aware they were leaving the Doc track when they crossed the dam at the track junction.
‘‘All structures beyond the junction are privately owned, and were never designed for public use ... [people] may presume the pipeline and other structures are subject to the same standards as Doc bridges and platforms, which is not case.’’
The Doc track from the carpark to the hydro dam remains open, as does the track up to the Lower Wye Creek basin and the Remarkables conservation area.
