Gates open to Ngapotiki station after Council intervenes

The gates are open to Ngapotiki Station on the south Wairarapa coast after intervention from South Wairarapa District Council and threats of a freedom ride.

Mayor John Read said today he had sent a letter to station owner Trino Koers telling him he could not lock the gates to a road through his property because it was a legal public road.

"We received a police legal opinion and we checked it with our own legal people and it appears under the Local Government Act a paper road is a road that is not formed so you can't lock a gate across it."

Mr Koers began charging selected members of the public $100 for a key to the locked gate across the track which leads to a popular surf spot and Department of Conservation land beyond.

Last week a group of freedom riders said they would reopen the track, which they say is a legal road, by driving through Ngapotiki Station and cutting the gates if they had to.

Mr Read said he hoped the problem could be resolved peacefully.

Andy Cockroft, a member of the Akatarawa Recreation Action Access committee (Arac), said the council decision had cooled the dispute and laid the groundwork for working together.

At a meeting last night in Featherston between Arac, surfers who had bought keys and surfers who had not, and police, it was decided to talk to Mr Koers.

Mr Koers was unavailable for comment this morning but was quoted yesterday as saying he planned to sell the station.

- WAIRARAPA TIMES-AGE (MASTERTON)