Deferral on beach speed plan

The Far North District Council is holding off with beach speed limits at Ahipara, saying any decision should be made by the statutory board being set up to manage Ninety Mile Beach.

At last week's meeting councillors considered a proposal to impose a 30km/h limit on either side of the beach access points at Foreshore Rd and Kaka St.

Ahipara residents implored the council to go further and set a 30km/h limit all the way from Kaka St to Shipwreck Bay.

Mayor Wayne Brown said everyone at the council table sympathised with their concerns, but bringing in a "toothless" bylaw now would pre-empt the incoming statutory board.

As part of a pending Far North Treaty settlement, the beach will be governed by a board made up of Crown, iwi, conservation and council representatives.

The board will be tasked with protecting and improving conservation values while retaining public access and recreation, and will be chaired initially by Te Rarawa leader Haami Piripi.

Mr Brown said imposing a speed limit six to eight months before the board was due to take control of the beach risked annoying Te Rarawa.

In any case the board would have greater authority over the beach and the resources to manage it. The district council's authority over the beach remained unclear, making enforcement difficult.

Councillors resolved to recommend that the new board consider the request from the people of Ahipara for a 30km/h limit from Kaka St to Shipwreck Bay.

Mr Piripi said the Ahipara residents' request was reasonable, and he expected the board would support it.

Driving on the beach was a real concern for conservation and child safety but enforcement was difficult.

"It's an education issue and a community issue ... At the moment beach users are being intimidated by these people, so we have to stand up to them."

Mr Piripi said the recreational rights of beach users greatly outweighed the rights of a few joyriders.

The starting date of the new statutory board would depend on the timing of settlements and legislation passing through Parliament, but he expected it would be up and running within 12 months.