Muriwai beach closure: 'Someone will get killed' if rules don't change

Wednesday, 14 April 2021

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

Residents are fuming over an Auckland Council proposal to close a popular west coast beach to cars.

The proposal is one of three floated by the council in a bid to curb dangerous driving and the erosion of the dunes at Muriwai beach.

The others are seasonal closures at peak times, and gates to control access to those with paid permits.

But local Jae Van said closing the beach to vehicles entirely is not the way to go, and it would be better for more police to patrol the area to catch dangerous drivers.

Locals are outraged by Auckland Council’s decision to potentially close West Auckland beach to cars. (File photo)

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Satellite images show some of the damage done to the dunes by vehicles at Muriwai Beach since the early 2000s. (File photo)

“People come from all over Auckland to hoon up the beach destroying the dunes,” he said.

However, Rodney Local Board chairman Phelan Pirrie said there are “a lot of resources” put into enforcement.

“The problem is that police can't pursue [drivers] into dunes,” he said.

A lot of street racers come to Muriwai after a concerted police effort to move them off the roads, he said.

“There is now a massive influx of boy racers coming to the beach, and it is now no longer manageable [and] change must happen,” he said.

Thousands of 4WD vehicles go to Muriwai, making local surfers and fishers feel unsafe. (File photo)

Pirrie said the proposals wouldn’t have come about unless many people had complained.

“This is a major concern. The behaviour is too dangerous, the people fishing and surfing feel unsafe, seals have been run over,” he said.

“If we don’t act, someone will get killed.”

Pirrie acknowledged the angry outcry from locals and said he had received many calls himself, but “it’s obvious that something needs to change”.

The council can prosecute people misbehaving on the beach but Pirrie said it will cost up to $12,000 per offence.

“It is not proportionate to the offence and will be a poor use of public resources.”

Members of the public can give their feedback on the proposals here.

Muriwai is classified as a road for the purposes of enforcement.

It is one of only two beaches in the Auckland region where people are allowed to drive with a permit. The other is Karioitahi in the rural south.

There will be a public meeting at the Waimauku War Memorial Hall on Thursday where the community can give feedback on the proposals.