Molesworth road not opening due to fire danger

Date:  14 December 2007

The Acheron Road through Molesworth Station will not open to the public as scheduled on 28 December due to the high fire risk in the area. The road will remain closed until further notice.

The Department of Conservation, which administers Molesworth, will continue to monitor the fire risk in coming weeks to determine if the road can be opened later, up until 1 April 2008 when the open period for the road ends.

DOC South Marlborough Area Manager Dave Hayes said it was unlikely enough rain would fall to enable the road to be opened as planned at the end of the month or in the near future.

“It would take substantial rainfall over some time to ease the fire danger to a level where the Acheron Road could be opened and with current weather patterns that is not looking likely.

“It is regrettable that this decision will be disappointing for those who had planned to make the trip through Molesworth this summer but the priority has to be protecting this exceptional high country area.

“Fire is a major threat and movement of people and vehicles adds considerably to the fire risk. Fire could cause devastating damage to farm pasture and the station’s diverse and significant native plant life.  Molesworth is an area of national ecological significance with over 70 threatened native plant species, a quarter of which are acutely threatened”.

When weather and conditions permit, the Acheron Road through Molesworth opens to the public for 13 weeks between 28 December and 1 April. As well as being a reserve, the station is a working farm, run by Landcorp Farming Ltd, and access is therefore restricted.   

Anyone wanting to find out if the Acheron Road is closed or open in the next three months, should call the DOC South Marlborough Area Office, phone +64 3 572 9100.