The access road to south Westland's Fox Glacier will be closed indefinitely after an engineering report found it's not practical to re-establish road access.
The access road has been closed since storms in February led to an enormous landslide, causing damage to the road and facilities. An "extraordinary rain event" in March led to further damage to the road.
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The landslide continues to move by as much as 700mm a day after heavy rainfall, and GNS predicts valley conditions may take several years to settle.
Due to this, the report - commissioned by the Department of Conservation (DoC) and the New Zealand Transport Agency - concludes there is no practical engineering solution to stem its flow.
"DoC took the decision to close the road very seriously and has been guided by expert GNS Science/Te Pū Ao (GNS) and engineering advice. The estimated cost of reinstating vehicle and foot access to the glacier is approximately $16 million, with no guarantees the work would survive one of the heavy rain events the area experiences on a regular basis," says DoC south Westland operations manager Wayne Costello.
"DoC has been working with the community and iwi to minimise the disruption of this closure on Fox Glacier/Weheka township, which remains open for business, offering many other stunning visitor attractions."
In order to support the south Westland tourism economy, nearly $4 million will be injected into new hiking trails and visitor facilities around Fox Glacier.
"We want visitors to know south Westland glacier country is open for business," Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage says.
"We hope that the funding injection will mean people will recognise that even if they can't get all the way up to the glacier - except by helicopter - there's plenty to see and do in glacier country."
Helicopter glacier trips, snow landings and scenic flights are still operating and the close-by Franz Josef Glacier remains open. Costello says DoC will do everything possible to ensure people can view Fox Glacier by foot or bike by the busy summer season.
"While visitors won't be able to get as close to the glacier as they have in the past, these new opportunities will be designed to provide high-quality, enduring glacier country experiences."
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