Board asking why car hasn’t moved

‘‘If this was Mission Bay, that car wouldn’t be there for two months.’’

That’s the view of Manurewa Local Board member Joseph Allan about a car that’s been sitting in the Manukau Harbour since late July.

The vehicle, which appears to be a Toyota Rav4, is below a cliff accessed from a pathway off Pitt Ave, Clendon Park. Allan first spotted it on July 27.

He says he took photos of it and reported it to the local board office so a job could be logged with Auckland Council to have it removed. The car had not moved two months later.

‘‘It stands to reason people wouldn’t leave a car there for two months,’’ Allan says.

‘‘We need to find out who should remove it and then sort the details out later. It’s not good enough that it’s still there.

‘‘If this was Mission Bay, that car wouldn’t be there for two months. It would only be there for two days.’’

There are two large stones on the car’s roof, which is dented. Its front passenger seat is lying flat and its windscreen is shattered.

The car’s bonnet is not attached to the vehicle, which fills with water during high tide. Allan says he doesn’t know how it got there.

Counties Manukau central police area commander Inspector Mark Benefield says he’s had his staff look into the situation.

There are no ‘‘identifying features’’ on the car and he assumes it’s the council’s responsibility, he says.

‘‘It’s easy to get to at low tide. It’s abandoned property, like a car left on the side of the road.’’

Initial questions put to the council about the vehicle were forwarded to Auckland Transport (AT).

Spokesman James Ireland says the car has been checked by the Harbourmaster and ‘‘as it does not pose a navigational hazard, this means it is the responsibility of the owner to have the car removed’’.

Council head of operational management and maintenance Agnes McCormack says the vehicle was first reported to the council, AT and police on July 27. The council has now arranged for the vehicle to be removed.

‘‘Once the vehicle has been recovered we will be seeking to recoup the costs from the owner,’’ McCormack says.

‘‘We ask people not to abandon their vehicles in public places. They can cause a risk to people and the environment.’’