DoC Eastern North Island regional operations manager Jade Kinghazel could not confirm the exact number of days the facility had been non-operational but said DoC was “committed to undertaking essential repairs and optimally reopening the Springs in early 2024, if possible”.
Between January and December 2022 the Springs were open intermittently as staff availability allowed post-Covid.
There is no regular supervisor on site and casual staff have undertaken upkeep.
A former staff member, who lived in Morere and whose whānau managed the Springs in the past, is dismayed at the situation.
They left their job in November 2021.
“It’s been a big part of my life. It used to be closed only on Christmas. It’s our taonga, it’s our water. People come here from everywhere. It breaks my heart.”
The staff member said there had been managerial issues. Most senior staff had left and been replaced by rotating temporary staff.
“People keep getting reshuffled. We had staff that had been there for 20 years — staff were shuffled off three times in three years.”
The former staff member said family members had fought DoC over funding issues and had put their own money into the facility . . . “a whole life and soul into it. They are heartbroken at what’s going on”.
A turning point for the attraction was the onset of Covid-19 and the vaccination mandate.
There were plans to fix the plumbing, including the sewerage system and bathrooms. They (the former staff member) thought at least $100,000 was required to fix the piping.
Operational issues compounded the situation. A chemical licence was required for cleaning, faciliated through DoC.
New regulations were imposed, including a regulated cleaning fluid that could not be operated by non-DoC employees.
There had been a plan to address the plumbing issue over summer, they said.
“We had three months to prepare for it. A new manager from DoC came in to support it. We had more and more reviews. I’m banging my head against the wall.”
Rumours circulated that DoC “wanted to knock it down and build a $14-million complex”.
“They said they had kaumatua approval for this. But we’re not Rotorua. We don’t need to put our prices up to create a Rotorua tourism-type place. Our whānau can’t afford that.”
Ms Kinghazel said DoC was “also disappointed at the relatively long, albeit temporary, period of closure of Morere Hot Springs due to unforeseen repair issues”.
“We, however, always consider public/staff health and safety first in any decision to open. This includes having appropriate levels of staffing with relevant expertise, particularly around facility maintenance, customer service and staff and public supervision.”
DoC would not confirm the sum required for repairs.
“A programme of remedial work is in the planning and resourcing stage of preparation. This requires contractor availability/commitment and a long period of reasonably dry weather.
“If this can be facilitated, then optimally Morere Hot Springs will reopen early 2024. A firm plan for staffing also exists for this reopening.”
To the claims the plumbing had not been replaced since the 1970s, Ms Kinghazel said plumbing had “received regular facility maintenance and the occasional necessary fault and/or breakage repairs as required”.
“It has not been entirely ‘replaced’ ”.
The vaccination status of DoC staff was a private matter, which DoC declined to comment on.
“We can say, however, that Covid-19 had a significant effect on our ability to reinstate appropriate staffing levels post-lockdowns, and the mandatory Covid response period.”
DoC was “aware of a specific issue around cleaning fluid”.
To speculation that DoC sought to demolish the premises in favour of a new facility, Ms Kinghazel confirmed that plans had been drafted.
“Initially a ‘far-reaching’ concept design ‘reinventing’ the facility was commissioned and drafted. This was prepared in conjunction with our iwi partners, however, this has not been taken further by DoC.
“We are now in the planning and resourcing stage that would see the repair and reopening of the springs in its current format and at the same scale.”
From the outset, the reinstatement of the springs by DoC had been in discussion by and with tangata whenua, she said.
“We expect that the planning for the future of any entity and its management, where there are multiple interests, will continue to require robust discussion.”
