Residents' meeting a 'success'

A meeting with Tauranga's mayor sparked by Papamoa residents concerned by nudist behaviour in their area has been labelled a success.

The meeting was held last night after a call from residents in the Sunbrae Grove area fed up with offensive behaviour from nudists.

This behaviour, mainly homosexual activity in sand dunes and excessive exhibitionism, had scared some residents away from using the beach or walking their dogs.

Mayor Stuart Crosby, who was specially invited, said most people at the meeting were not upset with nudists providing they were discreet. "It wasn't really 'let's ban nudists'. The problem they had was with those people who deliberately get up and parade in front of people in the beach, particularly with children," Mr Crosby said.

"Then there's the higher level of sexual behaviour of some nudists on the beach and in the sand dunes."

A police community constable also attended the meeting of about 20 people and Mr Crosby said there were suggestions of residents getting photographic evidence to pass on to police the next time they saw these people engaged in sexual activity.

There was also a suggestion of taking down registration numbers of cars belonging to the offending people and putting notices on car windscreens asking them to be more discreet.

"We need to re-iterate that the majority of residents don't have a problem with nudists per se, as long as it's discreet. The problem areas are those two areas of parading themselves in front of people and the lewd behaviour that has been going on in the sand dunes. That's a very big difference," Mr Crosby said.

Resident Ben De Kleynen, who is the Neighbourhood Support representative for Sunbrae Grove, said the meeting helped establish future "action from us", Mr De Kleynen said.