However there is good news. In April 2001 Routeburn Walk Limited (RWL) organised and funded an upgrade of the sewerage system with the help of Te Anau DOC staff, and do not intend to construct the additional lunch shelter.
It turns out that that the approved additional shelter design that was thought inappropriate by both the Otago Conservation Board and many public submitters was not the design originally sought by RWL.
Bill Davidson, manager of RWL, has confirmed that he would be applying for his original design, an A-frame shelter with two separate rooms, one for his clients and one for the public. This would replace the current shelter so that there would only be one structure on the scenic Harris Saddle site instead of two structures envisaged in the design approved by DOC. RWL were told by DOC not to apply for this design, but to develop the two-structure design which originated from DOC.
Congratulations are due to Routeburn Walk Limited for their common sense in
fixing the sewerage system and in deciding to push for their original shelter design.
Further, DOC is reviewing their concession process, and an expert in environmental impact
assessment spoke to a meeting of concession staff at St Arnaud in mid August.
Reported by Simon Johnson