Piha residents excited about hosting world surfing event but worried about deteriorating road

Wednesday, 11 September 2019

Some of the best up and coming surfers in the world will be coming to Piha in March.

Residents at a beachside suburb are excited about hosting a major surfing event in 2020 but are worried their infrastructure won't hold up with the extra traffic.

Piha beach will host a World Surf League event in March 2020 for the Piha Pro, which could attract thousands of people to the area.

Resident Erin Hales said the event would be great for local businesses but it would stress out Piha's infrastructure and services, including emergency services and waste management.

Piha Rd for instance, the area's only main entry road, has had four slips in recent years and locals have complained about its deteriorating state for a long time.

**READ MORE:

Piha has only one main entry road to its popular beach.

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Aerial of Piha Beach and Lion Rock (file image).

* Kelly Slater could be heading to Piha if NZ can nab WSL challenger event**

Earlier this year, a frustrated resident took matters into their own hands and drew giant penises on the road to get local authorities attention.

'The only road in and out of the community is an utter embarrassment,' Hales said.

Auckland Transport said improvement works to Piha Rd were scheduled to begin early 2020.

Spokeswoman Natalie Polley said they remained fully committed to repairing the road, from just above the lookout to the beginning of Seaview Rd.

At least 10 drawings of penises showed up on Piha Rd in July to protest the condition of the road.

'We are currently working through the design process and will be able to provide more details around timelines soon,' Polley said.

'The surfing event has just been announced, and we are sure AT will be given more details from the organisers and ATEED in due course.'

A group of Piha kids are going against the tide for kids their age by spending most of their time enjoying the outdoors (video first published in January 2019).

Hales said the upcoming surfing event will have direct links to residents in the small beach community and they will take pride in it.

'But the Super City needs to refocus its efforts to ensure small satellite communities such as Piha are having their needs met before spending our rates on coloured tarmac on K Road.'

The last big surfing event at Piha was in 2006 when former three times world surfing champ Andy Irons competed.

Bobbie Carroll said there was traffic right up to the top of the hill on Piha Rd, and she expected nothing less next year.

'Piha was full, it was incredible and wonderful,' Carroll said.

'We just hope that our road stands up for that long.'

Carroll, who also owns Black Sands Lodge, one of the few accommodations available in the area other than Airbnbs, said they've been inundated with bookings since the announcement on Tuesday.

'Our economy has been affected negatively from the closure of the Waitākere Ranges.

'This is a wonderful opportunity for accommodation providers, our West Coast Gallery, local clubs, and the tourism and hospitality sector on the coast.'