'We just can't find any land': Progress on Hawke's Bay skid pad grinds to a halt

Bradley Graham has been working on getting a "grassroots" skid pad up and running in Hawke's Bay to reduce burnouts in residential streets like Folkestone Drive in Flaxmere. Photo / Warren Buckland

A half-year search for a Hawke's Bay landowner willing to lease a piece of land for a skid pad appears to have reached a dead end, but Bradley Graham isn't giving up yet.

Graham's submission to the Hastings District council asking for it to consider granting approval for a skid pad was first made last June, with the aim of reducing burnouts on public roads.

He said councillors and police were supportive of his idea, but the struggle to find land had hamstrung the process.

"The progress is pretty much the same as where we were at since my first meeting. They gave us permission if we could find the land, but we just can't find any land to lease," he said.

Although a council spokeswoman said the council has not formally endorsed the idea, councillors Sophie Siers and Peleti Oli have worked with council staff to make a letter of support Bradley could use in approaching landowners to show that the council was willing to work with the landowners to discuss the ways the plan could work.

However, Graham does not think this has been enough.

"I feel like if the council and police were a lot more open in saying 'we would like it to happen' as well, we'd get a bit more feedback.

"But I feel like, because it's just me, they look at me like 'just a boy racer'."

Councillor Oli said Graham's presentation to the council was "amazing", but many problems remained, including finding a location, funding, maintenance and the community attitude towards skid pads.

"A lot of the community don't want a skid pad, they don't think it's the answer. So what is the answer really?" he said.

Bradley Graham estimates it would cost $20,000 to $30,000 to do the groundwork and concrete laying from scratch for a 20 metre by 20 metre skid pad. Photo / Paul Taylor

Graham said the skid pad requires a 20 square metre space to operate, and he is prepared to fund and organise any groundwork and concreting required.

"I've got people at earthworks and concrete places that are really willing to help, so we don't even need a place that's already concreted, it can just be land."

They are looking to lease a suitable piece of land no more than 30 minutes' drive from Napier or Flaxmere.

"We want to make it cheap and accessible, so it's actually the people causing problems around Hawke's Bay that go there."

The nearest skid pad to Hawke's Bay is now in Taupō, but Bradley said that was more suited to professionals.

He wants the council to help him share his vision of a skid pad which hosts occasional family friendly events with spectators, food and competitions with the public.

"People might think we want to go there every Saturday until the early hours of the morning, which isn't the case."

He said burnouts on the streets have gotten worse since his petition to the council.

"I did my speech a year ago and I said if you give it a year, police won't be able to police it soon and that's pretty much what is happening."