Views divided over dune fencing in Ahipara

Off-road vehicles and quad bikes have become a problem on Far North beaches, damaging native dune plants and bird nesting sites.

The community is divided in support for Te Rarawa's plans to fence off sand dunes at Ahipara from bikes and four-wheel-drives.

Earlier this month, Te Rarawa and Te Takiwa o Ahipara announced plans to fence off its land to protect the fragile sand dunes and sites of cultural significance. The conservation areas had been returned to the iwi through its Treaty settlement.

The Northland Age's Facebook poll on the topic attracted more than 2800 votes and hundreds of comments. The community was evenly split on the plan to fence bikes off Ahipara's sand dunes, with 51 per cent saying it was a good idea and 49 per cent saying it was a bad idea.

Access from Wreck Bay Road is still allowed as part of Te Rarawa's plans to fence off sensitive sand dunes at Ahipara.

Those in support said vehicles were causing huge damage to the sand dunes, with bikes also creating a noise nuisance. Those against the proposal said storms and strong winds did more damage to the dunes than vehicles ever did.

[Threatening to cut fences is] an emotional reaction ... At the end of the day I really can't imagine the fences being cut. We really haven't struck that kind of resistance before.

Haami Piripi, Te Takiwa o Ahipara spokesman

One rider even threatened to cut down the fences to be able to continue riding on the dunes.

Te Takiwa o Ahipara spokesman Haami Piripi said he would be surprised if that really happened.

"It's an emotional reaction ... At the end of the day I really can't imagine the fences being cut.

"We really haven't struck that kind of resistance before."

Mr Piripi said the fencing would be done incrementally on the erosion-prone dunes further around Shipwreck Bay from the main access.

The fencing would start at the dune known as "the drop-off" around the corner from the area known as Iron Gate and finish at Tauroa farm.

Drivers would still be able to drive around the reef, a popular area for surfing and fishing, he said.

The fenced area was owned by Te Rarawa and managed by the Department of Conservation.

Mr Piripi said he suspected some people would find a way of getting around the fences but they would be trespassing on private land.

The numbers of people driving on the dunes had increased too much and were unsustainable, with hundreds of motorbikes at any one time, he said.

The move was all about protecting the sensitive areas, with the fences to discourage all vehicles driven by all people, Mr Piripi said.

¦This week's Northland Age Facebook poll asks whether the Far North District Council spends a fair amount of money on rural roads.