Sand flies in surf club vs residents beach dispute

Karekare beach. Photo / NZ Herald

A stand-off has developed between the local surf club and residents of the remote Karekare Beach community on Auckland's West Coast.

Residents are upset at what they say was an illegal surf club attempt to drain a popular swimming spot on Sunday.

But the club says the dispute has been started by a small group who oppose many of it plans.

It says beachgoers initiated the digging and club members were wrong to help, but had the best of intentions.

Karekare resident Helga Strewe says she had sand flung around her by surf patrol members when she tried to restore the original stream outflow from the lagoon.

She had objected to surf club members helping dig a trench out of the lagoon to the sea.

She eventually succeeded in restoring the original stream outflow from the lagoon.

"They were trying to drain it. I said 'you don't own the beach, why are you doing this?'"

"It's not their job. It's nobody's job except nature's."

The dispute is part of wider tension between residents who want to keep the beach as it is and club members who want to modify it, she says.

"They've got a different agenda. They wanted to do it so they could get their quad bikes to the club house.

"A lot of them don't live here and they don't really appreciate the beach. They see it as hampering what they do.

"People have to accept it's a wilderness area. It doesn't need to be tidied up."

KareKare Surf Club clubhouse director Phil Parks says beachgoers initiated the digging and were only helped by surf club members late in the day.

Those patrol members were insulted and called "rednecks", he says.
"There's a few people round here that will take any opportunity to have a go at the surf club.

"It has really been blown out of all proportion. If this so-called trench is so bad, I'll be ringing up the ARC when people build sandcastles."

Though the digging was wrong, it was done with good intentions, says Mr Parks.

The lagoon has become deeper and wider in recent months, making access to the beach and club house more difficult, he says.

He has admonished the club members involved and told them they could have jeopardised the club's six year fight to gain resource consent for a new club house.

"I'm furious about this. We will write a letter saying it is not a mandate of the surf club to do this.

"Things have actually been good for the last five years. We've tried to change the culture of the club to reflect some of these people a little more.

"Reopening any old wounds is only going to undo a whole lot of work."

Waitakere Ranges Protection Society president and Karekare resident John Edgar says the surf club must learn it can't do what it likes on Karekare Beach.

"There is this ongoing presumption they have a right to modify the environment.

"They have on occasion been intimidating to people who have stood in their way."

He wants to work out a solution that works for both the club and residents.

"Most are really good people who do a good job. I want everyone to be able to enjoy this place without animosity.

"We're happy to work with the club to get the best outcome."