Cape Palliser Lighthouse. Photo: 123RF
Plans to block road access to a remote stretch of the South Wairarapa coastline will deny surfers access to one country's most pristine surf breaks.
South Wairarapa District Council wants to close access to a paper or unfinished road that leads to the Cape Palliser coast line due to continued vandalism and destruction.
The road passes through private and Crown land before ending at the rugged beach.
The council said native flora and fauna in the area has been damaged by four wheel drives, quad bikes and campers, who are also a fire risk. The area includes Wāhi Tapu sites, ancestral burial grounds and historic pā sites.
"Council has engaged with local hapū, Ngāti Hinewaka and have agreed the continued vandalism, disrespect to the land and its owners and the poor social behaviours displayed are not acceptable," South Wairarapa District Council said.
If the proposal to block road access goes ahead, there will be no overland route to reach that part of the beach.
Michael Gunson first surfed White Rock along that part of the coast in 1976.
Gunson told Checkpoint it was a popular surf spot but really hard to get to, even with the paper road open. He said if the road is shut, there would be no access for the general public.
"It's a gem, it really is a gem. It's on par with Castle Point, as far as I'm concerned, as far as dramatic landscapes go," he said.
While Gunson understands where the council and landowners are coming from, he wants to work to find a solution.
"I am not going to defend clowns in any way, shape or form. What I think that needs to be done is some good consultation, some good kaupapa shared with the landowners, DoC and the council, and we need to work this out," Gunson said.
He said they need to find out how to maintain public access in a way that minimises any damage to the coastline.
Gunson said said there could be signage and education around how to respect the landscape, and encourage others to report bad behaviour when they see it.
He said there has been a lot of opposition to the council's proposal as it has sparked a lot of attention among surfers online.
"Not everybody that goes there is a vandal. They go there out of deep respect for the beautiful, wonderful coastline," he said.
The South Wairarapa District Council in a statement to Checkpoint said there has been 2139 online submissions on the proposal so far.
The council said the proposed bylaw is being developed using powers under the Local Government and Land Transport Acts but acknowledges that restricting walking access to the paper road would not be legally enforceable.
However, that right of access doesn't extend to the adjoining private land, and council is responding to issues raised by the hapu around ongoing damage to land bordering the paper road.
It said the consultation is providing an understanding of what level of access the community feels is appropriate - balancing the need for safe public access with respect for adjoining landowners.
South Wairarapa District Council is accepting feedback on the proposal until 19 August. It said all feedback will be reviewed before a final decision is made.
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