Mayor moves on land dispute

Snapper Classic on Ninety Mile Beach. Photo / Northern Advocate

Far North Mayor Wayne Brown is intervening in a heated dispute over access to one of Northland's best-known beaches before it ends in a "serious punch-up".

Tensions between landowners at Ahipara's Shipwreck Bay and beach users, especially businesses running tours and renting motorbikes, have been escalating.

Mr Brown and Northland MP John Carter met members of Te Kohanga Trust, representing the landowners, yesterday.

The dispute centres on Foreshore Rd, an unsealed road leading to the southern end of Ninety Mile Beach. Part of the road is on Maori land.

Mr Carter would not reveal what was discussed at the meeting but expected "a positive outcome that benefited the landowners and the public".

It might be too late for one business. Tua Tua Tours owner Greg Hall said access problems had put his quad bike business in the red and it would not be long before the bank pulled the pin.

In the past, commercial operators have negotiated informal access agreements with the trust that owns the land, but mounting tensions have led to the road being closed with a chain and frequent standoffs.

At a meeting on Thursday, Mr Brown asked councillors to approve his bid to negotiate a solution.

"If we don't do something I'm convinced there'll be a serious punch-up," he said. "Behaviour on both sides is escalating. It's a powder keg."

Councillor Dennis Bowman said the landowners were upset about motorbikes putting people in danger by speeding down Foreshore Rd.

Mr Brown suggested the council could buy or lease access to the beach, and then charge commercial operators a set amount to use it.

"Maori do own the land there and have rights," he said.

Many of the problems seemed to stem from people renting motorbikes.

"It turns them into instant idiots," Mr Brown said.

The Far North's top policeman, Inspector Chris Scahill, told councillors the police approach to incidents involving Maori land was initially to use iwi liaison officers to sort out grievances through discussion.

- APN