Vehicle ban plan welcomed
A proposed vehicle ban on Marlborough’s east coast has been welcomed by conservationists.
The East Coast Protection group heard the news while hosting a public information day in Ward on Thursday, where scientists and community groups came together to discuss coastal ecosystems.
The Marlborough District Council announced it would draw up a bylaw banning drivers from the 45-kilometre stretch of coast, from the Awatere River mouth to the Ure River mouth. A date has not been set for consultation on the bylaw.
Quad-biking fishermen, and four-wheel drivers have long cruised the region’s east coast, but access to it became easier after the 2016 Kaiko¯ ura earthquake exposed flat platforms of reef which used to be under water.
The East Coast group, which has long fought for protection, including from human pressures such as vehicles, say the council move is a step in the right direction, and hope the consultation period will result in a ‘‘compromise’’ between beach users and conservationists.
About 60 people, including representatives from the Department of Conservation, Marlborough District Council, students from
Ward School, as well as scientists from Canterbury University, attended the open day on Thursday. Presentations were made on dune rehabilitation, birdlife, as well as post earthquake recovery of paua fisheries and intertidal zones.
East Coast Protection group chair Rick Stolwerk said they wanted to create more community interest in the area.
‘‘The only way you’re going to get anything done is to get the community behind it. I feel like that’s off to a great start.’’
Having the students from Ward School attend encouraged interest in the area from a young age, he said.
‘‘If you get a 6-year-old to plant a plant, they’re not going to ride their motorbike over it when they’re 16. Education is by far the best approach, rather than legislating against it.’’
Stolwerk thought consulting on no-vehicle access was a good starting point for the community.
‘‘If we start at the high level, we’re going to come to a compromise that will suit everybody.’’
Protection group committee member Rob Peter said it welcomed the news.
‘‘We’re fully aware of the consultation process it will have to go through. It’s going to be another season before any practical steps to protection are going to be put into place.’’
He said vehicle traffic and the amount of pressure on the environment had steadily increased since the 2016 earthquake. ‘‘When you’re out seeing it, it becomes very apparent that it’s unsustainable. A lot of people feel that they’re still seeing some wildlife so there isn’t a problem, but the trends for nearly all these species are that they’re declining.’’
Department of Conservation South Marlborough operations manager Phil Bradfield said it was an ‘‘incredibly important and fragile landscape with a very precious and fragile ecosystem’’.
‘‘They’re very vulnerable to human induced pressures, like introduced predators and vehicles.
‘‘While a lot of people can drive respectfully, it only takes one or two that don’t, who will wreck it for decades and do irreparable damage.’’
This community group had been a champion for the landscape and ecosystems, he said. ‘‘It’s a fantastically collaborative approach to protecting our special places.’’