Auckland's Muriwai Beach will close to vehicles for 18 days over summer

Thursday, 9 September 2021

There are increasing concerns about the behaviour of people who drive vehicles on Muriwai Beach in northwest Auckland. (First published December 2020)

Auckland’s Muriwai Beach will again close to vehicles for a period over summer.

It’s the second time the beach, just one of two in the region that can be driven on with a special permit, would pause vehicle access because of safety concerns and fire risk.

The decision was made during an Auckland Council parks , arts, community and events committee meeting on Thursday.

Sixteen councillors and Mayor Phil Goff supported the 18-day closure from December 31, 2021, until January 17, 2022.

Vehicles will be banned from accessing Muriwai Beach from December 31 until January 17, 2022.

* Auckland's Muriwai Beach to close to vehicles for first time over summer season

* Muriwai 4WD tragedy reveals dangerous driving on beach

* Beach driving behaviour under spotlight after four killed

Horse riders say vehicles on Muriwai Beach is a “fatality waiting to happen”, councillor Chris Darby says.

While supporting measures to improve the management of vehicles on the beach, councillors Chris Darby, Greg Sayers, Sharon Stewart and John Watson voted against the brief closure.

Darby told those at the meeting that he had spoken to many people who rode horses on the beach who said vehicle access to it was a “fatality waiting to happen”.

Driver behaviour and damage to dunes are key concerns of the Rodney Local Board with vehicles accessing Muriwai Beach.

He had been in an accident involving a car on the beach in the past, he said, and he wanted to see it completely closed to vehicles.

Rodney Local Board chairman Phelan Pirrie told the committee the board’s primary concerns included damage to the environment from vehicles illegally accessing the dunes, along with public safety.

The behaviour of some drivers was becoming worse as the number of vehicles on the beach increased.

Data showed that from October 1, 2020, until July 31, 2021, a total of 57,833 vehicles accessed the beach.

Pirrie said the board supported the possibility of a fee-based permit system for vehicles accessing the beach being introduced – and potentially ring-fencing the revenue gathered from that to improve the beach.

Regional Parks ranger Steve Bell said consultation about such a permit system would be done through the annual plan as it would have “significant” costs otherwise.

There was support from the community for limiting vehicle access to the beach, Bell said.

Of 2165 people who provided submissions to the council regarding vehicle access, 37 per cent were in favour of seasonal closures.

Just over 30 per cent said they would prefer controlled access, and 21 per cent said they wanted the beach permanently closed to public vehicles.

Bell said having a gate at access points which recognised vehicles permitted to access the beach was the eventual goal.

The committee also voted in favour of implementing measures to better manage access to the beach.

This included targeted education, improved signage, enforcement, reducing the speed on part of Coast Rd from 50 kilometres per hour to 30kmh, and restricting access to an area south of Okiritoto Stream to vehicle parking.