Northland MP Mike Sabin has made no progress over the last year in persuading the Far North District Council to introduce a speed restriction on the beach at Ahipara, but that has all changed now.
Mayor John Carter has told Mr Sabin that he shares his view that the council has an obligation to the community to address the problem of traffic speeds with urgency, as opposed to leaving it for the yet-to-be-constituted Te Oneroa a Tohe Governance Board.
Mr Carter said the council already had the ability to control vehicle speeds on beaches via its reserves bylaw, which prohibited speeds greater than 15km/h. That could be seen as a little slow, however, so signs advising of a 30km/h limit were about to be erected at Ahipara, Waipapakauri Ramp and Tokerau Beach, although enforcing them would not be easy.
Prosecutions would have to be pursued under the Summary Proceedings Act, which would be a convoluted process, so using that bylaw would not be ideal. It also applied to all beaches in their entirety, placing onerous restrictions on responsible drivers outside congested areas.
A more effective approach, he said, would be to set a 30km/h limit on specific parts of specific beaches under the speed limits bylaw, leaving the open road limit in place elsewhere, while the council engaged in public consultation. Council staff had advised that a temporary limit could be imposed within a matter of days, renewable after six months, which could provide a solution at Ahipara until Te Oneroa a Tohe Governance Board was constituted.
Mr Carter planned to further discuss the options with council management, Te Hiku Community Board, councillors and Te Oneroa a Tohe Governance Board, but the problem wasn't unique to Ahipara.
"We have received complaints about dogs disturbing wildlife at Taupo Bay and calls for vehicles to be banned from Cooper's Beach, so we need to consider whether a whole-of-district approach is needed," he said.
"And setting a speed limit at Ahipara will only be effective if the police enforce it. I will be keen to meet with the police to discuss what resources they are able to commit to addressing this issue."
He told the Northland Age that the process he was suggesting was only a stop-gap measure, but it would provide an immediate response to a serious situation, and pave the way for something more permanent.
"We will be going to the people at Ahipara, Waipapakauri Ramp and Tokerau Beach and asking them what would work best for them," he said. "Then we can work on bylaws that are relevant and applicable to each particular situation."
Mr Sabin said he was delighted by the sudden rush of progress, and Mr Carter's undertaking to look at beaches other than Ahipara. He would be writing to the police to encourage their support.