Pāpāmoa man Brendon Burchell spends $5000 on lighting, CCTV to deter rock-throwers

An “angry” Pāpāmoa resident “attacked” by people throwing rocks at his home has spent more than $5000 on lighting and security cameras to monitor a nearby walkway and protect his property after council “inaction”.

The damage has been so severe that Santa Monica Dr resident Brendon Burchell said he received a $28,000 insurance payout.

Burchell called on Tauranga City Council last July to install lighting and security cameras at the council walkway - which he believed the rock-throwing perpetrators used as an “escape route”.

The council said in August it would look at options to light the walkway - which connects Santa Monica Drive to Percy Rd - but CCTV cameras were not installed in residential areas for privacy reasons.

The council said this week lighting was not installed because it would “likely cast unwanted light” onto nearby properties. Budget was also a factor.

The walkway connects Santa Monica Drive and Percy Rd in Pāpāmoa. Photo / Megan Wilson

Burchell was “extremely frustrated and angry” with the council’s ‘‘inaction’' and urged it to prioritise the security of people living near “problematic walkways”.

The council empathised with Burchell’s concerns and encouraged him to contact the police to report anti-social behaviour.

’Massive bang’ on the roof

Burchell said he installed lighting and cameras last year but this had “limitations compared to what the council could do”.

After doing so, the rock throwing had not happened “for months”.

On the night of February 7 this year, he heard a “massive bang” on the roof and found “two big rocks” had been thrown at his home.

“They’re standing further up the walkway now out of the view of the cameras where they don’t trigger the lights.”

In total, his property had been “attacked” with rocks five times, he said.

“If the council put a camera up, it would stop this tomorrow.”

Pāpāmoa resident Brendon Burchell says his home has been vandalised by people using the council walkway near his home. Photo / Megan Wilson

Burchell said he found it “ironic” that the council installed a camera near Pāpāmoa Pak’nSave after a new walkway bridge was built.

“Meanwhile, they’re requiring us to justify the installation of a camera in a trouble-prone walkway ...’'

He had been told to rely on the police but Burchell said they did not show up when he called on February 7.

He planned to eventually move.

A neighbour - who agreed the council should install lighting and a camera - previously told NZME someone broke her bathroom window with a stone.

Pāpāmoa Neighbourhood Support co-ordinator Bruce Banks said he was aware of the issue but it had not “cropped up as a major offence” in his weekly meetings with police.

Banks said he understood the council’s perspective due to its budget and policy.

“I think if the council did get into installing lights on walkways, we’ve got a massive expense ahead of us because how many hundred have we got in Pāpāmoa? Where does it begin and end?”

Banks said he believed the incidents were “pretty isolated”.

The area “clearly” had a problem but he questioned how many complainants there were.

“It’s a real tough one because there’s no easy solution.”

Council responds

Council general manager of infrastructure Nic Johansson said it had received three complaints from two complainants since June about rocks being thrown at properties near the walkway - one in July and two in October.

An investigation found additional lighting would “likely cast unwanted light into Brendon’s and other neighbouring properties”.

Finding “cost-effective solutions” was another barrier.

“We have limited budgets to work with and we’re always conscious of the need to provide value for money for all Tauranga ratepayers.”

Tauranga City Council general manager of infrastructure Nic Johansson. Photo / Alex Cairns

Johansson said a camera was installed near the Pak’nSave as part of a wastewater pipeline project in 2023.

Its main purpose was to monitor the operation of the waters assets that ran beneath the boardwalk to ensure the council could respond to any issues and keep services running smoothly, Johansson said.

The CCTV camera also monitored the boardwalk, pedestrian crossing, and Domain Rd.

“We empathise with Brendon’s concerns about anti-social behaviour and continue to encourage him to contact NZ Police whenever this is an issue in this location.”

The council published its draft annual plan about March each year which included the work plans and budgets for its various activities, Johansson said.

“This is open for public consultation and a great way to provide feedback if there are activities or initiatives that residents would like the councillors to consider.”

Police respond

Western Bay of Plenty area prevention manager acting Inspector Shannon Clifford said police were in “regular contact with the complainant” about ongoing issues as they were reported.

“We continue to investigate any new information supplied.”

Clifford said police attended jobs as per its 111-triage system “and when resources are available to do so”.

“This walkway is also a designated area of interest for Community Patrols New Zealand, and we work alongside them and follow up any reported crime.”

Megan Wilson is a health and general news reporter for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post. She has been a journalist since 2021.