Year-round beach cleaning initiative kicking off in Gisborne

A tractor and trailer, beach groomer and a tele handler have been externally funded to provide year-round care for Gisborne's city beach. Photo / Strike Photography

One of Tairāwhiti’s key assets is now in line for year-round care with a joint initiative between Gisborne District Council, Gisborne Holdings Ltd and other local businesses.

The city beach between Waikanae and the Pipe carpark will now be regularly groomed to keep it in tip-top condition for locals and visitors.

Mayor Rehette Stoltz says she is extremely proud of the proactive partnership between the council and its holding company, Gisborne Holdings Ltd (GHL), in caring for one of its precious taonga.

The project was fully funded through external grants provided to the council and supported by local businesses.

The equipment and machinery included a tractor and trailer, a beach groomer and a telehandler.

Some of the equipment is still to arrive, but the project had been loaned gear by Brandt, Tairāwhiti’s John Deere dealers, alongside a second-hand groomer, so the project could run straight away.

Jukes Carriers is providing an operational base.

GHL chief executive Richard Searle said the focus was on making one of the region’s best features more accessible and enjoyable, with plans to expand the project to include other beaches around the region.

The beach grooming has already been appreciated by the Kaiaponi Waikanae Surf Lifesaving Club, which will shortly host the BP New Zealand IRB Nationals Championships.

Club manager Clara Wilson said the club was “so grateful” to GHL and the council for the extensive work already carried out over recent weeks.

The nationals are the country’s largest inflatable rescue boat (IRB) competition and attract 342 competitors from across New Zealand and Australia.

“We are delighted to be staging the event on a beach we can be proud of,” Wilson said.

“We can’t wait to show off the area to all the competitors, organisers and visitors.”

Searle said everyone recognised the beaches were a massive asset for the region and the need to do something to keep them clean regularly, not just after weather events.

“This is a concerted shift from reactive to proactive.

“Anyone we have spoken to is happy to support the concept because there is huge value in having an asset like this not compromised by something that can be dealt with. We want our beaches to be looking their best and a safe place for our swimmers and lifesavers.”

Much of what is coming off the beach is small in size, but the challenge is still how to deal with the waste.

“We are looking at how best to manage that,” said Searle.

“At the moment, we are storing it at a GHL site prior to burning, but that is just a stopgap until we find a better way to deal with it.”

He described the project as a trial period between GHL and GDC to better understand the costs and benefits.

The project covers beach beautification work and smaller to mid-size clean-ups, but Searle cautioned that larger events will need a separate response.

“This is an investment into something that is an attraction for the region. GHL manages the Waikanae Top 10 Holiday Park, so you could say we have a vested interest in this, but it really is for the wider region we are involved [in]. The beach is a hub for sports, recreation and relaxation, so we want it to be looking the best it can.”

GHL chairman John Rae said the project was a perfect fit for the organisation.

“Region first is part of our DNA.

“This is not a profit-making operation but a cost recovery exercise on something that is good for Tairāwhiti, and we are more than happy to be part of it.”

Beach clean-ups at Waikanae, Midway, Kaiti, Makorori, Ūawa, Whāngārā, Tikapa, Rangitukia, Anaura and Tokomaru Bay had removed 106,534cu m of woody debris as of December 2025.

In total, 585,417cu m of woody debris have been removed from waterway catchments and beaches across the region since May 2023.