Foxton locals want bylaws for cars on beaches

Saturday, 16 February 2019

Members of a North Island beach community are keen for rules governing cars on the beach to change, but the mayor is unwilling to draw an official line in the sand.

Foxton Beach Surf Lifesaving Club chairman Shane Parlato said he wanted a bylaw put in place that meant cars could not drive or park the in front of the surf lifesaving club, where the majority of beach go-ers sunbathe and play, during patrolled hours.

Although lifeguards primarily focus on what's happening in the water, excessive traffic could create problems on the beach that the patrols had to attend to, Parlato said.

'We are lifeguards, not traffic wardens,' he said.

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'We don't want to stop people having fun, but we would like a bit of protection while we are patrolling.'

However, Horowhenua mayor Michael Feyen is concerned a bylaw would appear 'heavy-handed' and would prefer a friendlier approach from locals and beach wardens. 

Beach wardens are licensed by Horowhenua District Council and work closely with police to report any reckless behaviour and encourage safe driving.

'Everyone knows beach manners,' Feyen said.

Feyen thought signs informing people not to park in the area in front of the surf club would be enough to stop people parking there. 

He wants the beach wardens to educate people about where they can and can't drive.

Ray Perry, one of five wardens at Foxton Beach, said the presence of the wardens is often enough to slow motorists down and the majority of people driving on the beach were well behaved.

But Perry said the volunteers could not monitor the beach at all times and having to approach people and tell them to park elsewhere would be 'overstepping' their role. 

'Enforcing these rules would put too much pressure on volunteers.'

Unregistered vehicles have become a problem the wardens are unable to contend with. Perry recalled an incident where an unregistered motorbike was 'taunting' him while he was stationed at the beach in the wardens' four-wheel-drive.

'He would let me get close, and then speed off, so I kept following him,' Perry said.

Perry alerted the police, but was unable to do more.

Since the beach is a legal road, all vehicles driving on it must be registered. There is a 30kmh speed limit on the beach, but Parlato said it was 'too fast' for the area outside the surf lifesaving club, especially when there are children around.

He believed a bylaw would send the right message by promoting 'common sense'.

Horowhenua District councillor and former policeman Ross Brannigan thought the existing bylaws that restrict the speed on the beach were working well. Ideally, he would want police, the surf lifesaving club and beach wardens to keep the beach safe together.

'Everyone's got to own this.'

'There's only the odd hoon that ruins it for everyone.'

Nigel and Anita Lynn, who own three restaurants around Foxton and Foxton Beach, said it felt like they were constantly 'crossing the road' when they took their two young children to the beach.

Although they enjoyed driving along the beach, they would be happy to see a no-go zone in front of the club.

'Having cars on the beach is part of what makes this coastline unique, because a lot of other beaches don't do it,' Anita said.

Nigel said the area where kids naturally gravitated to on the beach was the same area people drove through – the hard sand. He ended up 'having to look both ways for cars' when the pair took their kids to the beach.

'It's too stressful, it's just like constantly looking around to make sure no-one's going to run over my kid,' Anita said.