Foreshore case against yacht club fails

A case against the Nelson Yacht Club, accusing it of illegally preventing public access to the foreshore, has been lost.

Kerry Bateman sued the club for $2 after this year seeking an injunction to get it to remove its private property signs at its Port Nelson slipway claiming they were unlawful.

The club denied it was acting illegally.

It was Mr Bateman's second legal row with the club.

He took a case against it in Nelson District court last year, but was told it needed to be heard in the High Court at Nelson.

In Nelson District Court 10 days ago, Judge Chris Tuohy ruled Mr Bateman did not have the right to use the club's boat rigging, carparking and slipway area to access the sea.

He ruled the club was entitled to rely on the exclusive possession of its leasehold.

Club commodore Steve Newport said the decision vindicated its stand.

"It just reaffirmed that we do have the rights to exclude people from the club's facilities, should we need to."

Mr Newport said it had cost the club between $3000-$4000 to defend the case.

- nzpa