Editing Heaphy Track (section)

==Through-road controversy==
[[File:Gouland Downs Hut.jpg|thumb|82 people took shelter in the Gouland Downs Hut over the 1973–1974 New Year period during a three-day rain storm; the intense track use was a result of the roading debate]]{{Main|Proposals for a road through North-west Nelson}}
As early as the 1880s, there was demand for a road to connect Karamea with the Nelson area.<ref>{{Cite news |date=28 July 1882 |title=Correspondence |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TC18820728.2.11 |access-date= |work=[[The Colonist (New Zealand newspaper)|The Colonist]] |pages=3 |via=[[Papers Past]] |archive-date=26 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240126032657/https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TC18820728.2.11 |url-status=live }}</ref> In October 1931, the government indicated a willingness to proceed with a road through the route of the Heaphy Track.<ref>{{Cite news |date=26 October 1931 |title=Collingwood to Karamea |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NEM19311026.2.29 |access-date= |work=Nelson Evening Mail |pages=4 |via=[[Papers Past]] |archive-date=26 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240126032755/https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NEM19311026.2.29 |url-status=live }}</ref> However, in 1934 government declined to fund further work.<ref>{{Cite news |date=17 August 1934 |title=Would cost ₤46,000 |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TS19340817.2.30 |work=Star (Christchurch) |pages=2 |via=[[Papers Past]] |access-date=26 January 2024 |archive-date=26 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240126032745/https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TS19340817.2.30 |url-status=live }}</ref> In October 1936, [[Bob Semple]], the Minister for Public Works, questioned whether the proposed road was economically viable.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1 October 1936 |title=Completion of Heaphy Track |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19361001.2.106 |access-date=26 January 2024 |work=[[The Press]] |pages=12 |via=[[Papers Past]] |archive-date=26 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240126032802/https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19361001.2.106 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Proposals to build a road became the subject of public controversy in March 1973.<ref>{{Cite news |date=8 March 1973 |title=S.I. Link Road: Track "in jeopardy" |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19730308.2.140 |work=[[The Press]] |pages=16 |via=[[Papers Past]] |access-date=26 January 2024 |archive-date=26 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240126032748/https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19730308.2.140 |url-status=live }}</ref> The local West Coast and Collingwood population and councils largely supported the road, believing that a complete "tourist circuit" of the South Island would increase the access and popularity of their area. A lobby group called “The Organisation to Preserve the Heaphy”, was formed in April 1973.<ref>{{Cite news |date=18 April 1973 |title=Heaphy Track group formed |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19730419.2.129 |access-date= |pages=[[The Press]] |via=[[Papers Past]] |archive-date=26 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240126033307/https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19730419.2.129 |url-status=live }}</ref> Other groups opposed to a road through the Heaphy Track included the [[Forest & Bird|Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society]], [[Federated Mountain Clubs of New Zealand|Federated Mountain Clubs]] and the [[Nature Conservation Council]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=5 July 1976 |title=Road extension opposed |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19760705.2.76 |access-date= |work=[[The Press]] |pages=11 |via=[[Papers Past]] |archive-date=26 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240126033157/https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19760705.2.76 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The Ministry of Works investigated routes for a road between Karamea and Collingwood.  Three options were outlined to government in September 1973:<ref>{{Cite news |date=27 September 1973 |title=Inland Collingwood road route rejected |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19730927.2.22 |work=[[The Press]] |pages=3 |via=[[Papers Past]] |access-date=26 January 2024 |archive-date=26 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240126033208/https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19730927.2.22 |url-status=live }}</ref>

# Along the route of the Heaphy Track from Karamea to Bainham
# Along the route of the Heaphy Track to the Mackay Downs and then north west to the coast at the mouth of the [[Big River (Tasman)|Big River]] and then along the coast to join the existing road at [[Turimawiwi River|Turimawiwi]]
# From Karamea to [[Tadmor River|Tadmor]], over the route of the [[Wangapeka Track]]

The first option was ruled out because of the impact on the North-west Nelson Forest Park and the effects on the Heaphy Track. The third option was rejected because of the difficulty and cost of building a road through steep and unstable earthquake-shattered terrain. The second “coastal” route was endorsed in principle, but was not an immediate priority.  Opposition groups criticised the plan for the destruction of up to {{convert|14|mi|km|abbr=on|order=flip}} of the Heaphy Track, including the unique sub-tropical coastal section. Lobbying from those supporting and opposing the road continued into 1975.<ref>{{Cite news |date=12 July 1975 |title=Heaphy issue "clouded" |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19750712.2.164 |work=[[The Press]] |pages=16 |via=[[Papers Past]] |access-date=26 January 2024 |archive-date=26 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240126033158/https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19750712.2.164 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 1976, the Government announced that work on the environmental impact report for the proposed road would not proceed.<ref>{{Cite news |date=13 March 1976 |title=Heaphy track road work stopped, but issue not dead yet |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19760313.2.2 |work=[[The Press]] |pages=1 |via=[[Papers Past]] |access-date=26 January 2024 |archive-date=22 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221022025255/https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19760313.2.2 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In December 1995, just prior to the formal establishment of Kahurangi National Park, the Minister of Lands, Denis Marshall, withdrew the designations of unformed legal road that had been put in place to enable a road between Karamea and Collingwood.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Transfer of Unformed Legal Road in Buller and Tasman Districts... - 1995-ln8303 - New Zealand Gazette |url=https://gazette.govt.nz/notice/id/1995-ln8303 |access-date=2024-01-26 |website=gazette.govt.nz |archive-date=23 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210223142944/https://gazette.govt.nz/notice/id/1995-ln8303 |url-status=live }}</ref>  In response to further lobbying in 1996 by Buller Mayor [[Garry Howard]], a commentator described the Karamea to Collingwood road as an “idea whose time has gone”.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hindmarsh |first=Gerard |date=12 August 2016 |title=Karamea-Collingwood road an idea whose time has gone |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/destinations/83105176/karameacollingwood-road-an-idea-whose-time-has-gone |access-date=26 January 2024 |website=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |archive-date=14 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220214044224/https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/destinations/83105176/karameacollingwood-road-an-idea-whose-time-has-gone |url-status=live }}</ref><gallery mode="packed" heights="150" caption="Heaphy Track impressions">
File:Brown Hut 10.jpg|Brown Hut marks the Golden Bay end of the track
File:HigherPointHeaphy.jpg|The view from the highest point of the track
File:Heaphy Track 1316 06.jpg|Perry Saddle Hut is near the highest point of the track
File:GoulandDowns.jpg|The Gouland Downs
File:PodocarpHeaphy.jpg|The forest west of Mackay hut
File:Lewis Hut - 3340708598.jpg|Interior of the Lewis Hut, which was removed some time after 2018
File:Swingbridges everywhere this one at the Gunner River.jpg|Swingbridge over the Gunner River, damaged in 2022 but repairable
File:Heaphy-suspension-bridge-565.webp|Heaphy River Bridge, destroyed in 2022
File:HeaphyMouth.jpg|The Tasman Sea at the Heaphy River mouth
</gallery>