For decades, walkers have followed the footsteps of Toi along the Ōhope escarpment, enjoying one of the district's most popular tracks with its stunning coastal views. But the landscape that makes Ngā Tapuwae o Toi so special is also what makes it vulnerable to landslides.
This Thursday, the Whakatāne District Council Projects and Services Committee will make a critical decision about the future of the beloved coastal track.
The West End section has been closed since a slip occurred following significant rainfall in October 2022.
Council approved $200,000 for track reinstatement in December 2022 as part of a district-wide storm damage repairs programme. Additional funding of $451,000 was secured from the Tourism Infrastructure Fund through the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment in August 2023.
However, a second major slip in September 2023 further delayed reinstatement work and required additional investigation.
Volunteers came forward, ready to help rebuild and the community's message to bring the track back was clear.
But comprehensive geotechnical investigations have since revealed a more complex picture.
Five separate technical reports, peer-reviewed by independent consultants, show the escarpment has experienced at least 49 landslides over 70 years.
The assessments consistently conclude that this section faces very high ongoing landslide risk, particularly as climate change increases the frequency of intense rainfall events.
"This is a much-loved walkway, and we've heard the community's passion for seeing it restored. However, the geotechnical evidence shows that even with significant engineering works, this section of track faces very high ongoing landslide risk," says Alexandra Pickles, General Manager Community Experience.
"We have a responsibility to make decisions based on safety and the best available technical evidence. Staff are recommending we explore alternative routes that can reconnect the loop while avoiding the unstable escarpment. This approach could deliver a safer, more resilient track for future generations."
Four options will be presented to the Projects and Services Committee.
The first would reinstate the existing track with cantilevered boardwalks across both landslides, rock anchoring systems and extensive slope stabilisation works - though this would require significant ongoing investment and the track would remain at very high risk of future damage.
The second option proposes constructing an alternative route including a 70-metre staircase up the escarpment face, bypassing the current landslide sites while utilising other sections of the existing track, which would reduce but not eliminate landslide risk.
The third option would permanently close the section between West End and Ōtarawairere Point Lookout due to safety concerns and ongoing risk.
Council staff are recommending the fourth option: Do not fund reinstatement of the existing track and instead investigate alternative route options that bypass the unstable escarpment entirely and reconnect the full loop.
Mrs Pickles says while staff have provided a recommendation, no decision has been made as yet.
"The final decision rests with elected members at Thursday's meeting. Staff provide recommendations based on technical assessments, but elected members weigh up that technical information alongside community sentiment and input.
"This is sometimes why staff recommendations differ from final Council decisions. Elected members can choose or amend any option or propose something different."
The 17.4km loop traverses the domain of Toi, an important early ancestor of Ngāti Awa, whose stronghold Kapu-te-Rangi Pā is one of the oldest known pā sites in Aotearoa.
For local iwi and hapū, these are ngā tapuwae - the footprints - of those who walked here long before there were formal tracks.
The technical reports show that landslides occur when daily rainfall exceeds 100mm - events becoming more common with climate change.
The Council will continue to work with Ngāti Awa and the Department of Conservation on opportunities to develop Ngā Tapuwae o Toi into an official Short Walks and Day Hikes track, which would significantly raise its profile and support tourism in the district.
The Projects and Services Committee meets Thursday, 19 February at 9am in the Tōtara Room, Council offices, 14 Commerce Street, Whakatāne. The meeting will be livestreamed via the Council's website.
The reports are available to view in the meeting agenda from page 55 to page 222.
