Locals voice outrage at fear and damage caused by beach hoons
Hooning vehicles on Castlecliff’s reserve, beach and dunes have been annoying some residents for 30 years, a Castlecliff hui heard.
That was the main cause for concern as about 50 people, including police, Whanganui mayor Hamish McDouall, deputy mayor Jenny Duncan and council staff met recently at Castlecliff School to discuss that and other issues the suburb had.
If there were any fireworks, they were over the lack of progress across 30 years.
“There were a few heated moments when people wanted to know what the council would do about it,” Ruth Tidemann, one of the organisers of the meeting, said.
Speed was an issue and many wanted motorbikes and quad bikes to keep off the dunes.
Quad bike riders present agreed and said they did not drive on them.
Whanganui District Council is consulting on speed limits for a range of district roads, including the beach.
Police said they were unable to pursue bikes in the dunes, because they didn’t have the right vehicles and the pursued person could get hurt.
Applause broke out when one person said driving on the wet sand at low tide damaged kai moana.
“There are definitely people who feel for the destruction that’s been happening,” Tidemann said.
Rubbish dumping and car burning in the dunes were other issues, and the old question of whether the beach should be flattened and have its driftwood cleared every summer came up.
The Castlecliff Ko¯ rero group will now decide what to do next and Duncan has written to say council is happy that people are talking.
“We need community and council support for this. We need to all be on the same page,” Tidemann said.