New beach rules cause confusion for horse treks

Dunedin City Council's new rules for beaches and reserves has created hurdles for Hare Hill Horse Treks. Photo / File

New rules to protect Dunedin's beaches have been dismissed by the city's only full-time horse trek operator as ''confused''.

Oliver Goldsmith, who runs Hare Hill Horse Treks, has for years offered rides along Aramoana's beaches.

But, after the Dunedin City Council signed off new rules for beaches and reserves this week, he faces a series of new hurdles to carry on.

He would have to obtain one permit from the DCC, and another from the Department of Conservation, while a third party - the Otago Regional Council - looked the other way.

''The whole issue is just so confused - confused thinking,'' Mr Goldsmith said when contacted yesterday.

He was among 433 submitters when the council consulted the public on the new approach earlier this year.

The new rules prohibited motorised vehicles except those used by emergency services, surf life-savers, fishermen and wind-powered buggies.

Drones were also banned from ecologically sensitive areas, unless a ''discretionary'' consent was granted, or a six-month permit for vehicles weighing more than 1.5kg.

The new rules had also initially suggested restricting horses to above the high-tide line on the city's beaches, prompting an outcry from riders who feared they would be forced off beaches altogether.

The council responded by modifying the proposals and expanding the list of beaches at which horse riding was permitted from four to 12.

However, Shelly Beach and Big Beach, either side of the Aramoana mole, did not make the list, because the Department of Conservation was responsible for the area, council staff said.

Craig Wilson, of the Department of Conservation, said any business wanting to operate on Doc land required a concession, but the area's jurisdiction was more complicated than that.

On one side of Aramoana's mole, closest to Keyhole Rock, Doc's jurisdiction extended only down to the high-tide mark, he said.

Below that, the Otago Regional Council was responsible, and it has previously said horses were welcome on its sand.

On the other side of the mole, at Shelly beach, Doc's jurisdiction extended to the low-tide mark, meaning a concession was required to ride anywhere on the beach, Mr Wilson said.

Mr Goldsmith would need a DCC permit to use the council's only designated access point, near Keyhole Rock, and then a Doc permit to cross sand further up the beach, to reach sand below the high tide mark.

Once there, he could ride along the ORC's portion of beach without restriction, but only until he reached the mole, beyond which Doc's concession would be needed to take customers on to Shelly Beach.

Doc, in its submission, had argued wading birds and other wildlife in the area needed protection, but Mr Goldsmith said he always avoided sensitive ecological areas and wildlife.

Shelly beach was not a ''sensitive'' site, ''but it does have an awful lot of dogs and people'', he said.

''They would have to close the beach to public access, really, if they were going to be serious about the wading birds.

Council recreation planning and facilities manager Jendi Paterson said she would be happy to discuss Mr Goldsmith's concerns but saw no reason the DCC would refuse him a permit.