Go ahead for canyoning at Piha and Karekare

28 July 2003

The Auckland Regional Council has given two companies the go ahead to continue their commerical canyoning operations in the Waitakere Ranges Regional Park.

In a decision released today the ARC has given CANYONZ Ltd and AWOL Adventures Ltd consent to operate for the next four years at Karekare and Piha respectively.

CANYONZ operates along a section of Karekare’s Cowan Stream while AWOL Adventures runs its canyoning in a section of Piha’s Glen Esk Stream.

Councillor Dianne Glenn, one of the four members of the ARC subcommittee which granted the applications, says the consents have been issued with conditions.

“We have given both companies opportunities to continue and potentially expand their business by attracting more clients but we have also been mindful of the need to protect the environment,” Cr Glenn says.

“Due to the presence of a rare moss, AWOL Adventures are required to avoid taking clients through a chute above the Kitekite Falls and must limit its number of clients to 25 per day.”

Cr Glenn says both consents will be monitored and both companies will need to comply with conditions relating to health and safety and good environmental practice.

This was the first notified application under the ARC’s new Regional Parks Management Plan.

“The process reflects the ARC’s strong commitment to incorporating public views into decisions about how regional parks are used,” Cr Glenn says.

The subcommittee’s majority decision found that the canyoning activities of the two companies are consistent with the relevant polices of the Regional Parks Management plan.

ENDS

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