Community beach wheelchair option explored by Central Hawke's Bay District Council

Tetraplegic farmer and motivational speaker from Takapau, Wayne Forrest, centre, supported the Central Hawke's Bay District Council's survey about beach accessibility. Photo / File

Beach trips are a quintessential part of New Zealand summers, but for family members living with a disability it can be a limiting experience.

The Central Hawke's Bay District Council might be looking to change this, with council's Disability Advisory Group launching a survey to look at the issue of beach accessibility to see if there was demand for a beach wheelchair.

The beach wheelchair could be a game changer, said Wayne Forrest, a tetraplegic farmer and motivational speaker from Takapau in Central Hawke's Bay.

"Being in a wheelchair [beach accessibility] can be difficult," he said.

The Forrest family visits beaches at Porangahau or Pourerere.

"We go to the beach regularly in summer time."

It's not an inclusive activity though, with Wayne limited to staying on the grass.

"I spend a lot of time sitting on the shore watching."

Coming from a farming background, he sometimes brings a modified motorbike which allows him to move around on the sand.

Wayne has a higher level neck injury and needs to transfer from one mode of transport to the other which can be tricky.

The Central Hawke's Bay District Council has launched a survey looking as beach accessibility for families with disabilities to see if there's demand for a community beach wheelchair. Photo / File

Wife Kathy Forrest said people with different disabilities had different needs.

"I do see that the beach chair for certain people would be amazing."

Wayne praised the council for looking at the issue.

"For a little Central Hawke's Bay council this is a fantastic initiative."

CHB District Council chief executive Monique Davidson said access to facilities and open spaces had always been a priority.

The council saw that other districts had beach wheelchairs available for use and wanted to explore the possibility of getting on of their own, she said.

"Our aspiration is for all beaches, parks and open spaces in Central Hawke's Bay to be fully accessible to all people in our community, including those who visit our beautiful district."

It is imagined the beach wheelchair, which council estimates will cost about $8000 and can be paid with external funding, will be a bookable resource available to residents or visitors to Central Hawke's Bay beaches.

It would be housed in a central location in Waipukurau where it can be picked up and returned by the user.

"The short survey is open until the end of January and will help us understand the demand and need for this resource across Central Hawke's Bay," Davidson said.

Last week, beach mats offering people with disabilities access to the water were rolled out at Takapuna Beach in Auckland.

Made in France and from recycled plastic, the 20-metre mat has already proven popular.

The survey can be accessed online at, surveymonkey.com/r/WT3XH96