Vehicles banned on northern beach

Ruakaka beach will have an 815m "safe zone". Photo / Northern Advocate

A vehicle ban on Ruakaka beach - the first of its kind in Northland - has been approved by the Whangarei District Council after a skirmish with people who wanted the traffic ban extended.

Two members of the Bream Bay Coastal Care Trust left the council chambers after angrily voicing objections while the council was considering a bylaw to set up a "safe zone" on an 815m strip of beach at Ruakaka.

Only police, emergency services, surf lifesaving and other authorised traffic will be allowed to drive in the zone after the bylaw takes effect on December 7.

Breaches will be punished with fines of up to $20,000.

Bream Bay Coastal Care Trust members attended the meeting with a 2163-signature petition calling for further safe zones on beaches at Marsden Village, Uretiti and Waipu Cove.

Their earlier efforts to present the petition were rejected. The council refused to include it with the Ruakaka agenda item.

Deputy Mayor Kahu Sutherland said he could not condone the Ruakaka safe zone traffic ban because it was exclusively for the benefit of people living in that vicinity.

People had been driving on the beach for many years to fish or gather kaimoana. It was part of their heritage and lifestyle.

"Every beach in New Zealand should be accessible," he said.

But Mayor Stan Semenoff said the days of old Land Rovers putt-putting along the beach had changed to "guys in flash four-wheel-drives doing silly things".

"I would not like to be in council and have a death happen on our beaches," he said.

The bylaw was approved, with only Mr Sutherland voting against it. The council then received the petition.