Dunedin city councillor Colin Weatherall contacted the Otago Daily Times yesterday concerned about two beachfront areas which have been extensively damaged.
Mr Weatherall, a Brighton resident, said the damage was caused by a 10-tonne truck and front-end loader owned by seaweed harvester Simon Stott.
"The community here is outraged.
"My phone hasn't stopped.
"He's been down here half a dozen occasions over the last month and he's leaving behind a mess.
"The erosion and vegetation damage are the key matters.
"He's just abusing the privilege. He's using a large truck and a front-end loader and coming up through the sand dunes to load the truck. He's even gone through a water culvert."
Mr Weatherall said a formal access road near Brighton was used for licensed sand extraction by Fulton Hogan.
"It's the method that's causing concern in the community.
"If this is his style of operation then it needs sorting out.
"I think he's taking advantage of the Christmas lay-off, when everyone is away.
"I've got no issue with him collecting seaweed or driving a loader along the beach, but the operation needs to be formalised and to get approvals in place.
"He's getting the kelp for free and it's got to be worth something, or he wouldn't be doing it.
"Why can't he plant natives to cover up the mess?" Otago Regional Council environmental services manager Martin King said yesterday the incident was being investigated.
"We've had previous correspondence with him [Mr Stott].
"There are rules about using coastal marine areas and we're in the process of completing a report on the matter."
Mr King was unable to say when it would be completed.
Dunedin Ministry of Fisheries officer John Kennedy said Mr Stott was permitted to harvest bladder kelp at Brighton.
"It's a new species under our quota system.
"He's been in contact with us and, at this stage, we believe he's fishing legally.
"But there is no beachcast [seaweed] harvesting south of Shag Point.
"If that's what he was doing, we would intervene."
Mr Stott could not be reached for comment yesterday.
