Emergency services responded to a fatal accident on Muriwai Beach after a ute rolled, throwing a teen from the vehicle and crushing her. Video / Ben Dickens
Rodney local board chair Brent Bailey told the Herald vehicles on the beach were in direct conflict with beachgoers who wanted to use it for activities like kite surfing or sunbathing.
“As a Muriwai resident and someone who supports the decision to ban [vehicles] I have sympathy for the regional park staff who have to deal with the amount of traffic and congestion and competing uses.
“The immature behaviour by a small segment of the community has already caused tragedy - and I think it’s probably avoidable.”
Resident Ed Donald said he’d been pushing for years to have better policing of vehicle access to the beach.
He said the current speed limit of 60km/h on the beach was ridiculous, and it should be dropped to 10km/h - as well as having police deployed to prosecute rule breakers.
“We have been asking and asking for more policing on the beach and they just say, ‘we don’t have the resources’.”
Muriwai Beach has reopened to vehicles.
Donald said the death was “tragic” and feared further deaths could follow if action wasn’t taken.
Phil Hanson spoke out after Chamberlain’s death, saying news of the incident had brought back harrowing memories.
Emergency services and two rescue helicopters rushed to the scene on Auckland’s west coast about 2.30pm on Sunday. Photo / Tim Sullivan
Hanson said he understood other members of the public wanting to feel a sense of adventure and wanting to share vehicle access to the beach.
But he acknowledged previous incidents and accidents - several fatalities included - that now made it an issue that needed to be addressed.
On Monday, Auckland Council said Muriwai Beach would be temporarily off-limits to vehicles as a rāhui was placed on the beach by Ngāti Whātua o Kaipara, in acknowledgement of the teen’s death.
