Beach row divides island

Great Barrier Island has always been considered one of the country's most relaxed communities, unencumbered by petty rules and restrictions.

But since Auckland City Council gained control of the island, 90km north east of the city, locals were irked at what they saw as bureaucratic meddling.

And now farmers have posted "no access" and "private property" signs at one of the island's most beautiful beaches, Kaitoke, as a long-simmering dispute flames into community anger.

The Blackwell family, who have owned the adjoining land for 140 years, have erected the signs - not for the first time - at either end of the golden sands of Kaitoke beach.

The family's historic honey house was on a $2.5 million block of land the Auckland City Council owned and had an unformed legal road on.

The land was at the most beautiful end of the beach, where the Mermaid Pool attracted tourists and locals alike.

The Blackwells had continued to build on the disputed land and had even set up a campsite and guest chalet there - which some residents considered an "illegal occupation" in submissions to the council.

The best way to access the beach was via the Blackwells' land or the council land they had been occupying.

The family said they allow the public to use this access but they liked visitors to ask permission and had put up signs stating the land was private.

"It's been a bit of a bone of contention for many years," said Izzy Fordham, deputy chairperson of the Great Barrier Community Board.

"I think many people got quite cross when they realised the whole of the area down there was actually public land."

Susan Warwick, who has lived on the island for 26 years, said her family had picnicked at the beach for many years but now felt as "interlopers" for crossing the Blackwell land.

The new signs read: "stop", "private property" and "no access". But Winnie Blackwell insisted "the public have never been stopped going anywhere".

She said most of the submitters were new to the island, and "didn't understand what they're writing about".

She said "private property" signs are occasionally put up and the family liked visitors to ask permission, but, "we've never stopped anyone".

In 2002, the council offered to swap the land the honey house was on for two pieces of private land the family owned at Sugarloaf and Oceanview Rds at either end of the beach.

A council valuation in 2005 considered the land to be swapped of equal value but residents disagreed, viewing the Oceanview land as worthless - and a private valuation backed up their view.

The agreement would give the Blackwells a $2.5m block, it said, while the council would only get blocks valued at $750,000.

The council had deferred releasing an independent commissioner's report into the deal.