Summer volunteers needed to protect carparks

Whangarei Community Patrol is hoping to recruit more volunteers for the Summer Safe Carpark programme.

Whangarei District Council is looking for volunteers to help keep some of the district's popular carparks safe from thieves over the summer.

The call is out for Summer Safe Carpark volunteers to help monitor the parking areas throughout the coming summer season, particularly at Abbey Caves.

The Summer Safe Carpark programme aims to provide visitors with a friendly greeting when they arrive at our most popular tourist hotspots, and help them keep themselves and their belongings safe while learning about other safe tourist destinations in the district. It is part of the umbrella Community Safety programme which also includes City Safe and the CCTV cameras in the CBD and Town Basin.

WDC community services manager Owen Thomas said the programme had been a definite winner over the seven years it had run.

"As with previous years, last year saw no thefts from cars during patrols by the volunteers who spent a combined 245 days patrolling the nine carparks between December and April, looking after 35,000 cars and handing out 15,000 safety brochures," Mr Thomas said.

The parking areas at Whale Bay, Whangarei Falls, AH Reed Memorial Park, Abbey Caves, Parihaka, the Town Basin, Ocean Beach, Ruakaka and Waipu Cove are monitored between 10am to 4pm on weekends and public holidays.

Volunteers come from Volunteer Northland, the Onerahi, Tutukaka Coast and Hatea Lions clubs, Police Volunteers (Blue Club), Whangarei Heads, Waipu and Ruakaka Surf Lifesaving clubs, Camp Waipu Cove, Ngunguru School Parent Teacher Association, Tiki-Pride and the TS Diomede Sea Cadets.

Anyone wanting to get involved in Summer Safe in their area can contact Volunteer Northland on 09 945 4984 or info@volunteernorthland.co.nz, or one of the participating groups to volunteer their time.