Our coast

Vehicles on beaches

• The Auckland Regional Council's position
• Rules and tips for vehicles on beaches
• Agencies involved in managing vehicles on beaches
• Making a complaint

The Auckland Regional Council's position

The use of vehicles on Auckland's beaches has grown substantially in the last 80 years; developing into a form of recreation that at certain locations has resulted in public safety risks, alienation of non-vehicle users, unsustainable damage to Auckland's coastal environment and significant ongoing infrastructure costs for the agencies involved.

This has been a long standing issue for ARC but more recently has been brought to the forefront because of the increasing number of serious incidents at Muriwai Beach and Te Oneone Rangatira and in neighbouring regions. This year the committee endorsed and funded a comprehensive approach to address the issue/s. This approach includes local, regional, and national solutions for managing vehicles on beaches and options for addressing the recreational demand that leading to this use.

The ARC has recently confirmed that it intends to work toward a position where there is greater control of vehicles on beaches regionally to ensure legitimate and necessary access is identified and protected but unnecessary, damaging and dangerous use is stopped. It has identified a multi pronged, staged approach encompassing joint agency bylaw reviews and development, education, enforcement and monitoring to achieve this position.

To find out more about the issues and the responses read:

• the February, June and October 2008 Parks and Heritage Reports
• Coastline Consultants' Vehicles on Beaches - Implication for managing beaches int he Auckland region report and appendices

Rules and tips for vehicles on beaches

When visiting the beach please remember:

• Only enter the beach at the road access points.
• Road rules apply on the beach, so drivers need to wear a seatbelt, and bikers a helmet, have a current WOF, registration and the correct driver's licence.
• Stay off the dunes.
• Only drive on hard sand.
• Drive slowly and watch for people on foot and on horseback. Your speed should be slow enough to be able to stop quickly without causing injury to yourself.
• Respect the beach and other users.
• Drive to the conditions e.g. avoid making sharp turns at speed - front wheels can dig into the sand and cause your vehicle to flip.
• Respect archaeological sites - many beaches carry evidence of centuries-old Māori occupation.
• Park your vehicle away from traffic areas and at an angle to the water so you can be seen by other drivers.

Find out more about driving on:

• Muriwai Beach and Te Oneone Rangatira
• Karioitahi Beach

Agencies involved in managing vehicles on beaches

District council bylaws regulate the safety aspects of vehicle use on the beach. Under the Reserves Act 1977, district councils can prosecute any reckless motor vehicle activity (including off-road biking) on beaches. For more information on the bylaws that apply in your district, contact your local district council.

The police have a regulatory role under the Land Transport Act which treats beaches as 'roads'. This means that the rules of the road apply, including speed limits and rules relating to licensing of vehicles and drivers, alcohol use, seatbelts and driving behaviour. Police can also prosecute for criminal behaviour and bylaw breaches.

Auckland Regional Council manages activities that have an environmental impact and gives effect to the Resource Management Act 1991 in the coastal marine area through the Auckland Regional Plan: Coastal. The Coastal Plan permits vehicles to be driven on the flat part of most beaches (excluding Coastal Protection 1 zones and the dunes) as long as certain conditions are met e.g. vehicles do not make tracks so deeply rutted that the action of waves and tide are unable to smooth them over within the seven day period. The Auckland Regional Plan: Coastal prohibits the use of motor vehicles in Coastal Protection Area 1 zones, except in emergency response, conservation management or when launching vessels (16.5.22). These zones are areas of regional, national or international significance due to their ecological, landform or geological values which, due to their physical form, scale or inherent values, are considered to be the most vulnerable.

The Department of Conservation sets national policies on coastal management, manages its local coastal reserves, and protects native birds and animals that are threatened or endangered.

Making a complaint

If you wish to make a complaint about a vehicle on the beach, please get as many details as possible without putting your own safety at risk, such as:

• date, time and length of time the incident has taken place
• the make, model and registration of the vehicle involved (OR the registration of a trailer if it is being used to transport motorcross bikes)
• a house address if the vehicles are coming from a property
• a description of the driver (or their name if possible)
• the effects (actual or potential) that you saw or experienced personally
• photographs.

The agency that you should make your complaint to depends on the nature of the complaint and where the incident occurred.

• Police:
• safety concerns e.g. dangerous driving, unregistered or unwarranted vehicle, underage driver, driver under the influence of drugs or alcohol;
• damage to personal property; and
• threatening behaviour.
  
• Local council:
• nuisance e.g. noise complaint, rubbish dumping;
• public health and safety complaints;
• vehicles destroying vegetation/damaging sand dunes (other than within regional parks); and
• bylaw information.
  
• Auckland Regional Council:
• vehicle destroying vegetation / damaging sand dunes within regional parks;
• driving in Coastal Protection 1 areas as shown in the Auckland Regional Plan:Coastal; and
• any incident on regional parks or adjacent to coastal areas.
  
• Department of Conservation:
• destruction of archaeological sites e.g. middens;
• vehicle endangering marine life;
• disturbance of birds; and
• driving in DOC conservation reserve.