Tide turns as reckless 4WD fans face a beach ban

By BRIDGET CARTER

Four-wheel-drive vehicles face a ban from beaches if they do not slow down or take more care.

A growing number of people are using off-road vehicles to speed across the country's beaches, which is ruining wildlife, say the Department of Conservation and regional councils, which are looking at control measures.

Land Transport Safety Authority figures show the number of new four-wheel drives registered has doubled in the past five years, with 32,634 now on the roads.

Many four-wheel-drive enthusiasts from Auckland are choosing to travel to beaches in Northland and the Bay of Plenty because they have been blocked from using Auckland's traditional off-roading areas such as the Woodhill and Riverhead Forests.

It means that hundreds of off-roading enthusiasts are now descending on coastal areas like the Pouto Peninsula - a wild stretch of western coastline at the tip of Kaipara's north head with archaeological sites, rolling black sand dunes, shipwrecks and precious wildlife.

Department of Conservation ranger Jaaps Kengtmans said environmental problems had surfaced on the coastline because of the numbers now exploring it with vehicles.

Birds' nests and rare plants were being ruined by vehicle tracks made in the sand and people were driving over areas sacred to the local iwi.

"It has spun out of control a bit," he said. "If nothing is done and we just stick our heads in the sand, the whole coastline there could change."

Mr Kengtmans said a working group, including representatives from the Kaipara District Council, DoC, the local iwi and the local four-wheel-drive club were reviewing the rules for vehicles on the beach.

A ban would probably be introduced for fragile parts of the coast, but not for the entire area.

"We don't want to go there with a total ban," he said.

"We want education and to monitor it at the same time."

Kauri Coast Four-Wheel Drive Club president Trevor Ilton said off-roading gave people an adrenaline rush and the chance to explore parts of the coast they were unable to do so by foot.

Pouto was a popular driving place for the club. Part of the problem was that the sport was growing throughout the country and increasing numbers were driving up to use the beach from Auckland.

"They come to Pouto. It has upped the traffic on our beach and that's where the concerns have come from," he said.

The Auckland Regional Council has worked with district councils to restrict the vehicles in some areas, including parts of Muriwai and Papakanui Spit on Kaipara's south head.

Environment Bay of Plenty regional coastal care co-ordinator Greg Jenks said off-roading on beaches was also a big problem in his area, particularly in relation to speed.

He believed that television advertisements showing four-wheel vehicles driving along the beach added to the problem.

The biggest menace, he said, was how fast people were driving on the beaches.

"Sooner or later someone will be killed," said Mr Jenks.

Although Government regulations classified beaches as roadways, district councils had introduced bylaws to make some off-limits to vehicles.

For example, wardens patrolled the beach at Whakatane, where vehicles were banned.

Mr Jenks said the council was trying to educate people about the damage they could do by driving on beaches.

"Quite often people don't know what sort of damage they are creating."