About 15 Papatowai residents attended the public forum of the Clutha District Council’s first meeting of 2024 last week, to add their voices to recent concerns about irresponsible driving on the district’s beaches.
After it emerged on January 19 that 39 breaches of the council’s new vehicles-on-beaches bylaw had occurred since it came into force on January 1 last year, Clutha District Mayor Bryan Cadogan told the ODT he believed the bylaw could have been made stronger.
Addressing councillors at last week’s meeting, South Otago Forest & Bird co-chairman Roy Johnstone — speaking on behalf of attending Papatowai residents — agreed with Mr Cadogan.
Mr Johnstone said the bylaw was so weak as to be "ineffective", and called upon the council to ban vehicles altogether from Papatowai, and strengthen provisions elsewhere.
"There have been lots of problems with vehicles on beaches at Papatowai during the holidays, including a four-wheel-drive driven by unsupervised children near a visiting elephant seal.
"Surely the recent death at Muriwai [Beach] should be a wake-up call. We’ve witnessed similar high speeds and loss of traction at Papatowai and elsewhere on the district’s beaches."
On January 21, Madison Chamberlain, 19, was killed when a ute flipped on Muriwai Beach in Auckland.
"International visitors are appalled that we allow vehicles on beaches at all. They see it as bizarre, especially as we promote ourselves as a natural paradise for wildlife," Mr Johnstone said.
"We’d like to see speed restrictions enforced on all beaches in the district, and a total ban on vehicles at Papatowai."
Although 30kmh was a "typical" speed limit for beaches, he would like to see further reductions.
"Even 30kmh is likely to be too fast for wildlife and young children."
Signage describing the existing bylaw provisions was "small and ineffective", and education of beach users on acceptable behaviour promised by the council had not transpired.
The bylaw leaves all beaches open to vehicles, while providing broad guidelines for safe and respectful driver behaviour.
Compliance is policed by the council’s freedom camping officer.
Responding to Mr Johnstone, Mr Cadogan encouraged those concerned to make submissions to the upcoming long-term plan process.
Council chief executive Steve Hill tempered expectations of any immediate change to the rules, pointing out it would be a staged process, beginning with any council agreement to review the bylaw in question.
Long-term plan submissions are expected to open on March 26.
