Current vehicle and pedestrian access
Late last year, an accessway was created from Waiotahe Drifts Blvd down to the beach. This accessway has provided pedestrian access along the beach to the western seawall of Ōpōtiki harbour. It has also provided access for vehicles moving eastward along the beach in the direction of the Surf Club.
It was hoped that this solution would help resolve several issues:
- Protection for the new dunes and bird and plant life in the Pākihikura restoration area where native wildlife is slowly re-establishing
- Keeping access to the active dredging operations and construction traffic restricted to the public
- Avoiding long-term issues with uncontrolled beach access in the subdivision where numerous trails were being formed across the dunes and vehicles were creating a nuisance for some residents.
Council wants to check in with local residents and other regular users of the access points on two things:
- How well the trial of the new beach access is working
- Whether this solution is the best option into the future
You can fill in a quick poll, provide written feedback, ask questions and find useful links and history.
1. How well is the new beach access track working?
You can see in the map below the location of the new trial beach accessway with walking and vehicle access to the west of the barrier and pedestrian-only access along the beach towards the seawall. There is no access of any kind into the restoration and construction areas marked red.
2. Future vehicle and pedestrian access
Once construction and dredging works are complete, the existing roadway (currently only accessible for construction traffic) will open to 4WD vehicles to allow access to the western seawall and a parking area nearby. The new restoration area and fragile dunes will remain fenced off to allow the plants and birdlife to flourish.
The current vehicle accessway will still allow vehicles down to the beach where they can turn westwards back towards the surf club but not eastwards along the beach.
