Gisborne locals fed up with ‘hoons’ ripping up community parks with car donuts

Thursday, 16 July 2026

Kiwa Pools users are fed up with vehicles frequently ripping up the grass at nearby Churchill Park in Gisborne over the past year.

Laurie Harrison cycles to Kiwa Pools daily, passing the park, which he says has been repeatedly damaged by “hoons” doing donuts on the grass.

Tyre marks have been left across the site and a damaged bollard is preventing vehicles from entering.

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Frustrated by the ongoing damage and what he saw as a lack of respect for the park and its namesake, Harrison said he had contacted the council about the issue numerous times.

“Each time I let the council know, their reply is ‘we are aware of this problem and are addressing it’.”

To deter those responsible, Harrison suggested installing cameras on trees near the site so footage could be given to the police.

A police spokesperson confirmed the latest event was not reported.

Similar incidents have also been reported along the East Coast, including Te Papa Puninga Camping Area in Tolaga Bay.

Locals complained in a Facebook post after vehicles damaged the grass beside the local cemetery and camping area.

Numerous commentators suggested closing the area with chains or barriers to prevent people from driving on the grass.

Others said they had witnessed similar incidents in Tokomaru Bay.

Gisborne District Council liveable spaces manager Tyler Kirk said vehicle damage had been frequent at sites across the region over the past year.

“The damage typically happens at night, and for such a short duration that it makes it hard for police to attend and reprimand those doing the damage,” he said.

At this stage, there were no suspects, he said.

In some parks, vehicle access was barred, however, “in other sites, such as Churchill Park, the cost to prevent vehicles entering the site is beyond our renewal budgets.”

Contractors were assessing turf and bollard damage across sites impacted by vehicles, Kirk said.

To prevent future damage, the council is calling on neighbours and passers-by to alert police of reckless driving in parks.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ on Air