Cyclone Gabrielle: Muriwai to reopen to Aucklanders on Friday, one cordon to be lifted

Four months on from the devastation Cyclone Gabrielle wrought on Auckland’s west coast communities, hard-hit Muriwai is set to reopen to visitors this Friday. Photo / Sylvie Whinray

Four months on from the devastation Cyclone Gabrielle wrought on Auckland’s west coast communities, hard-hit Muriwai is set to reopen to visitors this Friday.

One cordon, on the corner of Waitea and Oaia Rds, will be lifted at 6am, while several others will remain where safety is still at risk. Speed on Waitea Rd will be reduced to 30km/h.

The beach will remain off-limits to vehicles, including four-wheel-drive access to Coast Rd, but pedestrians, surfers, kite surfers and horse riders will be welcome.

Visitors with horse floats or trucks were asked to avoid travelling to Muriwai during the weekend as the council expected congestion.

Cordons will remain at Domain Cr and Motutara Rd.

Auckland Council’s deputy group recovery manager Mace Ward said he knew some Muriwai residents would be “distressed” with the cordon lifting but noted: “People have a legal right to move freely around New Zealand”.

“Four Muriwai cordons were put in place following the devastating cyclone in February to reduce the risk to public safety and also minimise community distress while the immediate aftermath of the extreme weather was assessed,” Ward said.

“We are delighted to have reached this milestone and to have local and international visitors once again visiting this magnificent location. We thank Aucklanders for their patience while Muriwai has been closed to visitors.”

Ward said cordons had to be reasonable and “demonstrably justified” under the Bill of Rights - “which is a very high bar.

“The cordons were put in place using emergency powers under the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002.

“As safety and security issues are resolved and mitigations put in place, the decision to keep the outer cordon closed is no longer justifiable”, he says.

Auckland Transport (AT) had done geotechnical assessments to make sure roads set to reopen were safe and could cope with more vehicles.

In a statement, Auckland Council said AT had the right to close the road again if there were high levels of rainfall in the area, to reassess its safety.

Ward said it was important visitors were respectful of the Muriwai community and obeyed the remaining cordons.

“Muriwai residents have gone through a very tough time, and we urge visitors to be mindful of the situation,” he said.