Northland beach vehicle ban faces rethink after backlash

A proposed vehicle ban covering most of Whangārei district's Uretiti South beach could be dramatically scaled back after locals spoke out against the move.

Following strong public feedback, Whangārei District Council staff are recommending a significant reduction in the size of the proposed exclusion area ahead of council deliberations on the Vehicle on Beaches Bylaw on Wednesday.

The original proposal outlined in a simple consultation map would have prohibited vehicles along the roughly 6km stretch of beach from Tip Rd south to the Waipu River mouth.

However, a report by council strategic planner Will McNab recommends the exclusion area instead shrinks to be largely confined to the Waipu Wildlife Refuge Reserve area, aligning more closely with an existing Northland Regional Council vehicle restriction.

McNab said the smaller exclusion zone would continue to protect the refuge's environmental values while preserving more public vehicle access.

Four-wheel-drive users, fishers, surfers and other beachgoers argued during consultation that the original proposal would unnecessarily restrict access to a popular recreational beach.

Uretiti South, at the southern end of the sweeping 11km-long Bream Bay beach, remains a focal point of the vehicle access debate.

But at the opposite end of the same beach, council staff are also recommending a significant new vehicle exclusion zone. The proposed 2.8km ban – which was not represented as a simple map in public consultation but was instead included in accompanying proposal documentation - would extend from Mair Rd northwards around the Marsden Point headland and into Whangārei Harbour towards Northport.

The proposed bylaw will significantly expand vehicle restrictions across Whangārei's coastline, increasing the number of prohibited areas from two existing exclusion zones, at the Ruakākā River mouth and Langs Beach, to nine.

Whangārei District Council's consultation proposal included new bans at Bland Bay, Matapōuri, Oakura, Uretiti South, Whangaumu/Wellington Bay and Woolleys Bay, as well as the new Ruakākā North area around Marsden Point.

Other changes are now also being recommended following public consultation.

At Bland Bay, staff recommend slightly reducing the scope of proposed restrictions by substantially enlarging the area where vehicles can be used to launch and retrieve boats. The recommendation followed submissions that the original area was impractical and potentially unsafe because tides, surf and beach conditions regularly changed launch locations.

In contrast, at Matapōuri Estuary, staff are recommending tighter restrictions by substantially reducing the area where vehicles can be used for boat launching and retrieval on the southern side of the estuary. The change follows concerns about impacts on fragile dune systems and habitat used by threatened bird species.

At Langs Beach, staff are recommending a new restriction that would prevent 4WD's using its eastern-end boat-launching access, limiting access to tractors and all-terrain vehicles. The recommendation follows concerns some larger vehicles exceeded the beach's 20km/h speed limit while crossing soft sand on this section.

The report also recommends scaling back a controversial proposed mobility permit exemption. Instead of allowing all mobility permit holders to access restricted beaches by vehicle, the exemption would apply only to powered mobility devices.

Councillors can accept, amend or reject the recommendations during Wednesday's deliberations before deciding the future shape of beach vehicle access rules across the district.

The bylaw is scheduled for adoption on November 26.