Ocean Beach

Yes. The driveway from the main entrance gate, through the carpark to the surf club, first passes over privately owned land. Council, at the request of the private landowners, has installed a new gate to stop traffic going through the dunes and damaging them, and driving in an anti-social way on the beach. The land where the gate has been placed is Council-owned land.

Private landowners include: Pukepuke Tangiora Estate, Waipuka 3B1C1 Inc, Ocean Beach Holdings Ltd and Tennyson OB Limited.

At the request of most of the local landowners, Hawke’s Bay Regional Council and the Department of Conservation, Hastings District Council has erected a new barrier to prevent vehicle access to Ocean Beach over private property.

Local landowners, in particular, were extremely concerned about the damage being done to the fragile coastal ecology and wildlife habitat on their land, as well as antisocial driver behaviour on the beach.

People can still park in the carpark or in the nearby reserve and access the beach on foot.

The landowners that enable access to the carpark and small reserve noted this was needed to maintain access to the existing parking area.

No.

The owners of the land that provides access to the beach have requested vehicles not be allowed access to the beach and sand dunes to protect the fragile ecology of the dunes. The Surf Lifesaving Club still has access.

The decision was made in 2020 after much discussion with local land owners.

Signs will be erected shortly that explain the requirements.

As the restrictions are not bylaws, fines or penalties cannot be imposed.  The enforcement primarily rests in the physical barriers put in place.

Yes. All motorised vehicles are prohibited.

The barriers were first started in November 2020 and completed on 8 November 2021 when vehicle access was effectively stopped from the council reserve.