Auckland Council are running a consultation now to consider options for controlling or restricting driving of vehicles on Muriwai Beach.

This is in response to safety concerns raised during consultation for the Regional Parks Management Plan review about:

• beach user safety and enjoyment
• environmental protection
• fire risk
• driver behaviour.

Submissions close on Friday 7 May.

For full details and to make your submission click here:
https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/have-your-say/topics-you-can-have-your-say-on/driving-in-murawai/Pages/default.aspx

Please let Council know how you feel about vehicles driving on Muriwai Beach. Impacts you should consider are:

• Conflicts with other beach users, especially horse riders & pedestrians & the serious safety implications of those conflicts.
• Compaction of the beach causing death and local extinction of shellfish beds.
• Direct impacts on nesting and feeding shorebirds.
• Hooning behaviour leading to accidents and injuries to drivers and passengers.
• Damage to dunes and erosion.
• Expense and difficulty of enforcement of rules.

There are 3 options being considered:

• seasonal closures restricting vehicle access to the beach at peak times, such as Christmas/New Years, Christmas to after Auckland Anniversary weekend, Guy Fawkes and other times where required to reduce fire risk
• controlled access - which may include gated access points to control vehicle access to the beach. Access would be restricted to authorised paid permit holders, surf lifesaving and other emergency service vehicles
• permanent closure of all public vehicle access points to Muriwai Beach (with the exception of surf lifesaving and other emergency services vehicles).

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