Council approval given for Waipatiki Beach icecream truck

The icecream truck will be open weekends until Easter, depending on weather conditions. Photo / Supplied

Beach goers at Waipatiki Beach will be able to enjoy a "Kiwi summer tradition" of an icecream on the beach thanks to a council decision.

In October 2020 Waipatiki Beach Holiday Park applied to Hastings District Council to sell drinks and ice blocks from a mobile shop in Waipatiki Domain between Labour weekend and Easter.

They sell icecreams and drinks at the holiday park but lease owner Shane Ashforth said they wanted to operate something closer for beachgoers.

"It's a long way. By the time you get here and back icecreams are usually melted for the families, so being able to have it on the beach front, that's pretty cool."

The council granted a trial permit over the December/January period and at the meeting it was said there had been no complaints over this period.

Ashforth said the trial went well, with about 100 groups coming to the truck on the busiest hot days.

At the council meeting, the issue of rubbish disposal was raised.

Ashforth told Hawke's Bay Today they were required to have one bin but have put in extra bins with the van and people have largely been good.

"My daughter, the person who looks after it, is pretty vigilant and we try to keep an eye on rubbish in the area as much as we can.

"Being from the community I don't want to see rubbish build up either, we pick up rubbish when we see it and I take it to town when I do my rubbish run anyway."

At a meeting on Thursday the council approved the application request for a licence to occupy.

"We're quite happy and I think in general the public will be happy too."

Ashforth looks forward to them being able to continue to provide "the old Kiwi summer tradition" of an icecream on the beach, every weekend until Easter depending on the weather.

They will look to open again next season, depending on the weather, around Labour weekend.