The Department of Conservation has confirmed it will cease maintaining five walking tracks on Great Barrier Island, a move that has sparked safety and accessibility concerns among residents.
The Coopers Castle track, Kiwiriki track, Line W track, Witheys track, and the Historic KTC Tramline track will no longer receive upkeep from the department, shifting the burden of trail safety onto the public.
DOC Aotea Great Barrier Island Operations Manager Fletcher Beazley said environmental damage and funding constraints dictated the move.
“In recent years, more frequent and severe weather events — including floods, slips, and landslides — have caused significant damage across the network. Alongside this, increasing cost pressures mean we need to carefully prioritise where we invest, so we can continue to provide high-quality visitor experiences,” Beazley said.
The pull-back on the island follows a wider government-mandated spending review forcing DOC to find an ongoing $31.3 million in baseline savings per annum.
When combined with non-discretionary costs and inflation, DOC is currently battling to find a total of $54.6 million in savings and offsets for the 2025/26 financial year, leading to service reductions on backcountry assets.
Beazley stated that the department is forced to narrow its focus across its massive national network to protect core assets.
“DOC cares for around a third of New Zealand’s land, including approximately 14,500 km of tracks and more than 900 huts, giving people access to some of our most special places,” Beazley said.
On the island, resources will be heavily directed toward high-traffic tourist routes rather than isolated wilderness trails.
“Our focus is on maintaining the tracks and places that are used the most, such as the popular multi-day Aotea Track, while also supporting a wide range of other recreation opportunities,” Beazley said.
The policy shift has raised alarms with locals. One of several residents who approached The Barrier Times regarding the deteriorating state of the island’s footpaths warned infrastructure is being abandoned.
“Tracks are disappearing, paper roads are blocked or overgrown, and safe routes between settlements are scarce,” the resident said.
The source argued that both local and central government agencies are failing to meet their statutory obligations to maintain public access ways.
“Public tracks have fallen into disrepair, practical walking links are missing, and there has been too little leadership from both DOC and the local board,” the resident said.
Safety concerns are mounting over how off-island visitors will navigate the unmaintained tracks, particularly given the temporary nature of current warning signs.
“It will only take a storm for their laminated bits of paper to get blown away, and one unsuspecting tourist to head along an old trail and get lost or injured,” a resident added.
The department acknowledged the primitive condition of the abandoned tracks but stated that walkers must take personal responsibility for their own safety when entering the bush.
“Tracks that are ‘open but no longer maintained’ are backcountry tracks which are suited to people with high fitness and suitable backcountry skills and experience. They are unformed routes which may be rough, muddy or very steep. DOC expects people to make sensible decisions about their abilities and safety considerations before using these tracks,” Beazley said.
Addressing criticism that current warning signs rely on laminated paper stapled to trailheads, Beazley said upgrades are planned to ensure walkers are properly informed. “The laminated signs will be replaced with more sturdy long-term signage,” Beazley said.
In addition to the five abandoned trails, two major routes on the island remain entirely blocked to the public due to severe storm damage.
A critical section of the Kaiaraara Track, which connects the Kaiaraara Hut bridge to the Coopers Castle Junction, has been completely shut down since 2023.
“The very steep area was closed due to landslides in 2023. It will be a challenge to find a landslide-resilient track line due to the intense incline. As the Aotea Track can still be completed as a loop, this section has not been prioritised to assess alternative routes,” Beazley said.
Beazley noted that “the closure is publicised on the DOC website and the track is closed with orange mesh and physical barriers along with Track Closure Signage,” adding that visitors can still utilize the South Fork Track to travel between Mt Heale hut and Kaiaraara hut.
The Harataonga Coastal Walkway also remains closed due to structural failures on the local government side of the track.
“There are multiple slips on the section of track which is maintained by Auckland Council. Please refer to Auckland Council to provide further details,” Beazley said.
According to Beazley, “the closure is publicised on the DOC website and the track is closed with orange mesh along with the Auckland Council track closure signage.”
Faced with shrinking budgets, the department is now looking to local volunteers to prevent the five unmaintained tracks from disappearing into the bush entirely.
“A key part of this approach is working in partnership — DOC already collaborates with community groups, iwi, and volunteers across the country, and we’re keen to see these partnerships grow,” Beazley said.
“We’re keen to work with local groups and others who are interested in helping care for these tracks, so they can continue to be enjoyed into the future.”
