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Safety concerns and fire risks have led to the decision to ban vehicles from a popular Auckland beach during the summer.
Muriwai Beach on the west coast is one of two Auckland beaches where people can drive with a special permit.
Auckland City Council said that in the 12 months to June 2020, 2,715 people had applied for and obtained a permit to drive on the beach, but this is estimated to be less than half the actual number of vehicles driving on it.
Abigail Dougherty / Stuff
More and more people are using vehicles on Muriwai Beach, locals say.
Vehicle access points on Coast Rd, Rimmer Rd and Wilson Rd will be closed from December 23 through January 10, 2021.
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Tasman Rd will remain closed as it did under normal seasonal restrictions.
Rodney Local Board President Phelan Pirrie said it is the first time the council and other agencies have chosen to close vehicle access during the busiest weeks of the summer.
Other agencies involved in the decision include Fire and Emergency, the police, the Department of Conservation, Ngā Maunga Whakahii or Kaipara Ngahere, and the surf lifeguard club.
Pirrie said that all of Muriwai is “incredibly popular” during the summer and this year is likely to be no different.
Abigail Dougherty / Stuff
The vehicle hotspot at Muriwai Beach needs to be better managed, locals say.
“First of all, this decision has to do with safety and fire risk. This is an opportunity to limit vehicles in sensitive areas like the dunes and near the adjacent forest where the risk of fire in summer is extremely high ”.
Pirrie said that when hundreds of people are using the beach, including young children, removing vehicles from the mix is a “no-brainer.”
Locals who live in the vicinity of the beach previously said Stuff They want Auckland City Council to provide a better way to manage vehicles without completely shutting down access.
Abigail Dougherty / Stuff
Muriwai Community Association President Simon Leitch at the vehicle access point on Muriwai Beach.
They said they have tried to work with the council to come up with a better management plan, but officials have not responded much.
Muriwai Community Association President Simon Leitch said they had witnessed a successful model presented by the Muriwai Fishing Club.
It is self-controlled and members receive an entry key to access the beach. Those who violate the rules of their membership will have their password revoked.
Leitch said the council would be better off doing something similar instead of their permitting system, as it’s not working.
Abigail Dougherty / Stuff
Vehicles, pedestrians, dirt bikes, and horses generally share the vehicle access point at Muriwai Beach.
There are a growing number of people who are on the beach “circling” in the dunes, lighting bonfires and not respecting the environment and other beach users, he said.
There have “definitely” been more accidents in recent years.
“It’s not about if, but when there will be more nasty accidents, and nobody wants that.”
Bruce Ritchie, a local from Muriwai, said that the behavior of the drivers is increasingly bad and that there is a lack of respect for other users of the beach and the environment.
He has no problem with the decision to close vehicle access during the summer period as it is a rush hour, but said he would not like it to last longer than that.
Ritchie said that many locals drive to the beach for activities like fishing and kitesurfing. To take away that freedom completely would be “just not right.”
Abigail Dougherty / Stuff
Vehicles will not be allowed on Muriwai Beach from December 23 to January 10, 2021.
He is part of the fire brigade and has seen several incidents on the beach, including a “nasty” motorcycle accident that left a cyclist seriously injured.
Weekends see the worst and Ritchie said it’s “literally like Mad max”.
He has seen people lying on rooftops in four-wheel drive vehicles while driving, people on trail bikes without helmets, and many doing wheelies.
Auckland Council Parks, Sports and Recreation General Manager Mace Ward agreed that the number of vehicles on the beach has increased significantly in recent years.
“When you have a popular playground that is also considered a passable ‘road,’ the combination of uses can have dire consequences,” Ward said.
“We have seen dozens of vehicle incidents over the years, some with tragic results and others that are on the verge of failure, silly mistakes or clear cases of poor decision making by inexperienced drivers.”
Ward said another disappointing factor is damage done to fragile coastal dunes and ecosystems, fire damage and antisocial behavior.
It is not yet known what plans Auckland City Council has to manage vehicle access after the summer term ends.
Auckland City Council said that signs will be posted near closed entrances to the beach, as well as signs at major detours along State Highway 16 towards Muriwai.
Park staff and police will also have a visible presence on the beach.
