Waiohine River access barred

Farm access to a popular spot on the Waiohine River has been made off limits to the public - the latest in a series of developments surrounding a dispute over a sliver of land at Borlase Rd.
The track is situated off Waihakeke Rd, south of Carterton, and has traditionally served as access to a popular family area on the river.
But the land belongs to Chris Engel, a dairy farmer and former Carterton district councillor, who said he had now put up a sign on the track saying it was private property.
He said that meant there was now "zero access" to the popular spot on the river, as the publicly-owned paper road ran along a steep cliff to the river and was covered with blackberry.
"You certainly wouldn't want to take your kids along there."
In December, Mr Engel warned he would stop people using his land to get to the river if the Carterton District Council forced him to break up a 38m x 14m concrete silage pad he had built on a paper road.
In early January, Mr Engel had to break up the pad and trucked the debris on to his land near the site, with the council saying the matter had been resolved.
He said it was a shame to block access but he was simply doing what he said he would.
Chief executive Colin Wright said the council was investigating forming a new walking track that would follow the paper road to the river.