Surfers dispute landowner's right to lock off beach access

Wairarapa surfers have hit back at a landowner who has locked the track gates to a popular surf spot and is selling the keys for $100 each to selected surfers.

South Wairarapa Ngapotiki station owner Trino Koers has been heavily criticised by surfers on surf internet sites for locking the gates to a track that leads across his property to White Rock.

Mr Koers said he padlocked the gates at both ends of his land that runs the 6km of rugged coastline on Ngapotiki Station because he was fed up with stock being killed, wandering dogs, vandalism, people defecating on his property, and thefts.

Surfers say the high key price could make the surfing spot elitist.

A Wellington man, who has been surfing at White Rock for 15 years, said while he understood Mr Koers' reasons for locking the gates, he questioned whether it was legal.

The surfer said White Rock could become like elitist surf camps overseas which were owned by corporations which charged US$200 ($340) a day to surf there.

"Most surfers are decent blokes but some of them are only bums and deserve to be removed from my property," Mr Koers said.

- NZPA