supplied/Stuff Timaru District mayor Nigel Bowen removes the padlock to reopen the previously closed portion of the Saltwater Creek walkway. The long-closed walkway at Saltwater Creek may have reopened on Friday but Timaru's other popular stroll at Smithfield remains closed as the landowner puts together a plan that will decide its future accessibility. Alliance Group, which owns the closed section of the Smithfield Walkway land, said “an in-depth site investigation identified relatively low levels of asbestos-containing fragments within some historic building materials, which a previous landowner had likely used to in-fill the land many years ago”. “Alliance Group is working with Environment Canterbury (ECan) and Timaru District Council on a feasibility plan to temporarily open the pathway, however the health and safety of the community is paramount and the walkway must remain closed until Alliance Group and the local authorities are satisfied it is safe to access,” the company said.