Vehicles on Waimārama Beach

How are vehicles on beaches controlled?

Vehicles are permitted on Waimārama Beach, except for a seasonal ban on a section of Waimārama Beach between 8am and 8pm from Labour weekend through to 30 April each year (pictured below).

Vehicles on beaches are controlled via Council bylaw, and enforced by police.

View the Bylaw here

Vehicle study 6-10 January

During Council's Long-Term Plan consultation last year, some submitters requested to extend the partial vehicle ban on Waimārama Beach.

To better understand how vehicles are using the beach Council has commissioned a third-party research group to undertake a vehicle study comprising of video and conversations with beachgoers.

The research will determine how many people drive on Waimārama Beach and why (e.g. access to fishing, surfing, boat launching) and vehicle speeds.

Cameras will be installed at access points of Waimārama Beach from 6-10 January 2021. 

Please note that all data shared to Council will encompass only the anonymous physical aspects of the traffic and people movement in the form of trajectories, and personal identification will be impossible. Video footage will be permanently deleted once data has been extracted and anonymised.

This third-party information gathering will be in line with Research Association New Zealand (RANZ) 's Code of Practice, ensuring data is validated and protected through appropriate means.

Community research

Researchers will be approaching beach users to survey their views about vehicles on the beach in early January..

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