Victoria University glaciologist Dr Brian Anderson has released time-lapse video of the glacier from 2012 to 2019 that shows the environmental change. Franz Josef spans 12km and is a temperate maritime glacier in Westland Tai Poutini National Park on the West Coast. In the decade ending 2018 at least $11.2 million was spent on the access roads to Franz Josef and nearby Fox Glacier. In 2019 a major storm led to extensive damage to both access roads and emergency repairs to the Franz Josef access road alone cost $4m. The Fox Glacier access road has been closed for several years because of a massive slip.

Source: Otago Daily Times April 27, 2021 20:48 UTC