Burnouts and vandalism by illegal street racers are plaguing Mamaku residents.
Burnouts, doughnuts, vandalism, fireworks, screeching tyres and loud exhausts - Mamaku residents say hoons are holding them to ransom.
Fed-up residents in the village, 20km north of Rotorua, say groups of unruly motorists gather every other night, mainly at State Highway 5 where it intersects with Maraeroa Rd and Oturoa Rd.
The skidmarks on the road, discarded bits of burnt tyres and rubbish strewn about are evidence of what residents say they are enduring.
They say the hoons set off fireworks while doing doughnuts and burnouts in the middle of the intersection, causing distress to the farming community nearby and to animals in the paddocks.
Acts of vandalism at the intersection overnight on Saturday added salt to the wounds for one businessman, who said his business sign was chopped down.
The damage had cost him about $3000.
Police say they’re aware of the problem and attend when locals complain. They say they are working on ways to try to stop the cars from gathering.
The business owner, who did not want his name published for fear of retribution, said the situation became more dangerous after rainfall, as vehicles could skid for longer distances without immediately damaging their tyres.
“There have already been several near-misses involving trucks and buses travelling through the area at night in poor weather, only to unexpectedly encounter groups of cars performing burnouts and doughnuts in the middle of the intersection. It’s only a matter of time before a serious or fatal accident occurs.”
People setting off fireworks while skidding caused significant distress to farm animals, due to the combination of screeching tyres, loud exhausts and explosions.
“The majority of our community is fed up with the persistent noise, property damage, and blatant disregard for safety.”
There was growing frustration over what he said was a lack of response from police.
“While there appears to be consistent enforcement of speed limits in the name of road safety, there is little to no effective action taken against these dangerous gatherings. Residents frequently report being told that no units are available, or that the matter is already being handled - yet the problem persists.”
He said the road was left in an “appalling state” after the gatherings.
Road markings were obscured or destroyed, making it difficult and unsafe to identify stop signs, turning bays and centre lines.
“The surface is littered with chunks of rubber and sharp steel belts from shredded tyres.”
He said the intersection gave a first impression of Rotorua to visitors from the north.
“It paints a very poor picture of our city. Immediate and meaningful action is needed before a tragedy occurs.”
Resident Rachel Bidois said burnouts were a national problem, but had a greater impact in small places such as Mamaku.
“The people doing the skids and leaving the roads in an absolute state are also very intimidating, so a lot of people just hide behind closed curtains. For the few of us that stand up, we have become a target, sadly.”
She said some people believed they had the right to be a “total menace”. The problem had become worse recently, which she believed was due to a couple of individuals returning to Mamaku.
They were “playing up merry hell”.
“It angers me to think they feel they have the right to hold the village to ransom for their uncivilised behaviour.”
Recently, she stood on the roadside and threw her hands in the air after one driver flew around her corner. The driver responded by revving loudly and “flooring it”, near where children later played.
She said police tried their best but were too far away to make an impression.
“How do we change society’s mentality over this incredibly mentally flawed pastime?”
Rotorua area prevention manager Inspector Phil Gillbanks said police understood the public’s frustration and were working to stop antisocial road-user behaviour.
Police had attended recent incidents on the corner of State Highway 5 and Maraeroa Rd, and enforcement action was taken, including fining drivers.
“Inquiries are ongoing and all reports made to police by the public help us.”
Police and the New Zealand Transport Agency would explore “physical interventions”, such as bollards and guardrails, to see if they might discourage antisocial behaviour.
He encouraged locals to call 111 if they saw unsafe driving or anyone in immediate danger.
Non-emergencies or matters after the fact could be reported by calling 105.
Kelly Makiha is a senior journalist who has reported for the Rotorua Daily Post for more than 25 years, covering mainly police, court, human interest and social issues.