"No" to closing Kokako Road

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 10, Issue 480, 6 April 1993, Page 1

"No" to closing Kokako Road

A request for Kokako Road, a paper road in the Ruatiti Valley, to be closed by the council drew the opposite response at the W aimarino Community Board last Thursday. The board called for the council general manager to exercise his powers to force the landowner to remove fences blocking public access on the road. The owner of two blocks of land either side of the road, identified as G Rawnsley, requested that the council close the road because public access through it would jeopardise his deer hunting enterprise on his property, as well as be dangerous to the public. However the board did not agree that public access should be stopped as many people had expressed the wish to be able to use the route for access for tramping, horse riding and hunting. Mr Rawnsley offered to provide altemative access on the eastern boundary of his property but local resident, Jim Davis who ob-

jected to the road closure, said the route suggested was totally unsafe. He said he had guided an elderly woman who had a replacement hip across the Kokako Road route, but he challenged anyone to travel on the proposed altemative. Mr Davis claimed the road is a six-foot benehed track, while Mr Rawnsley i claimed it was unformed. i Ruapehu Mayor Garrick I Workman told the board he had discussed the matter of access to the road with Mr Rawnsley. He said he came away from the meeting quite sure that Mr Rawnsley had promised to provide gates to allow access for horses and motorbikes as well as trampers and that he would unlock the gates on the bridge at the start of the road. He had also promised to continue wOrking on an altemative route. Mr Workman said Mr Rawnsley had now "gone back on that agreement" and said that the mayor Turn to page 2

Kokako Road closure

From page 1 wa s mistaken, but that he was quite sure about what was agreed to. Mr Davis asked the board for permission to build a new bridge across the Ruatiti Stream, as the present bridge, although built by the Waimarino County Council, is on Mr Rawnsley's property. Although public access is legal right through to the end of the road there are eleven metres of private property to cross to get to the bridge. Mr Davis was told if he applied for a building certificate and it was. approved, he should be able to build a new bridge.