Residents claim that vehicle dwellers had thronged to the area in recent years. Stock image / 123RF
Residents claim that vehicle dwellers had thronged to the area in recent years. Stock image / 123RF
Residents of a Whangārei harbourside community say increased monitoring by the district council has reduced problems caused by lifestyle vehicle dwellers there but needed to be ongoing.
Onerahi residents claim the once family-friendly foreshore had become an unsafe, undesirable place because Whangārei District Council (WDC) was too “soft” on vehicle dwellers, who had thronged to the area in recent years with escalating bad behaviour.
Residents feared troublemakers, who finally seemed to have been moved on, would return as soon as the council reduced patrols and had done so over recent long weekends when they probably thought enforcement staff were off duty.
WDC Health and Bylaws manager Reiner Mussle confirmed the council’s increased monitoring of the area, saying enforcement staff had visited at least daily over the past few months.
However, Mussle denied there was less monitoring and enforcement over the Easter holiday.
He noted there were numerous rules for the Beach Rd area. Some were the council’s responsibility to enforce, such as the rules under the Freedom Camping Act and the Traffic and Parking bylaw.
Enforcement of the alcohol ban and general antisocial behaviour was up to police.
Residents claim these public toilets beside the playground at Onerahi foreshore can be unsavoury places for visitors and children. Photo / Sarah Curtis
Residents believed many of the vehicle dwellers were not genuinely homeless so shouldn’t be exempted from Freedom Camping rules.
They suggested the council could check the true status of the vehicle dwellers, issue more trespass notices and provide alternative spaces for them to go.
A council spokeswoman confirmed many vehicle dwellers were not genuinely homeless but said the situation was nonetheless complex.
One woman said she knew of residents who were considering selling their homes because the situation had become so bad.
She alleged a wide range of anti-social behaviour by vehicle dwellers, including drugs, violence and yelling and loud music throughout the night.
Residents felt forced to change their exercise routes and had started using personal alarm devices, the woman claimed.
She stressed her concerns were not only for Onerahi residents but also for the wider community that liked to use the foreshore too.
Whangārei District Council says it has limited powers to deal with vehicle dwellers at Onerahi foreshore. Photo / S Curtis
“There is a feeling that the council and police are more concerned about the rights of an antisocial few rather than the Onerahi and Whangārei communities,” the woman said.
The spokeswoman said the council ultimately took a risk-based approach to dealing with vehicle dwellers, taking account of the housing shortage, and the time of year.
She refuted residents’ claims the council had stepped back its earlier monitoring because staff also felt threatened by the vehicle dwellers.
She said WDC did all it could within the legislative framework available and had also installed bollards to prevent people from parking close to houses.
Council staff had no power to move the vehicle dwellers on during the day, but had good traction in moving them on at night, the spokeswoman said.
She confirmed council staff met with about 20 of the residents last year and had suggested they fundraise for a CCTV system, which neither police nor the council could afford. The residents had also been advised to form a citizen patrol, which police would support.
However, residents argued it was not up to them to ensure public spaces were safe; everyone had the right to use the area without feeling threatened or intimidated.
Sarah Curtis is a general news reporter for the Northern Advocate. She has nearly 20 years’ experience in journalism, most spent court reporting in Gisborne and on the East Coast. She is passionate about covering stories that make a difference, especially those involving environmental issues.
