Hi All,

Looks like the ARC are trying to ban vehicles from the dunes at murs, the plans they have dont seem to have an impact on wet beach use but they do seem bent on banning use of the sand dunes.

Keep an eye out on nz kite forums , arc web site etc. We may need to throw in our 4 cents especially for the well advertised moose meet.


Regards Wayne C

Thats not good.....And i dont even live in auckland.

Here in chch they are moaning about the dunes getting to high. Anyway you might want to get some advice from the guys on racekites and see how they have handled similar disputes with there councils over there and try and work with the ARC for a compromise maybe. Also find out the grounds for a ban and try pick holes in that arument. Often these bans are a result of a perseved danger to the public or conservation nit an actual threat. They may also be because councilor X or rich person Y doesn't like that kind of activity where they walker there dogs. Anyway put your best foot forward present your 4 cent and hopefully you can find some middle ground with the ARC.

the question is
"what is a vehicle?"
is a kite and buggy a vehicle? i don't think so. so the ban may not apply.

Vehicle
A contrivance equipped with wheels, tracks or revolving runners on which it moves or is moved; and includes a hovercraft, a skateboard, in-line skates and roller skates; does not iclude a tricycle with wheels under 355mm diameter

so kgb is out and buggys are in ?!!? but only with small wheels

I think you will find that buggys on standard wheels are out as well. And ATB isnt a skate board. Its a landboard or mountain board. Same way buggys arnt tricycles.

by the way that already applies to all beaches not called public hiways, the target appears on the backs of motorised vehicles, however that does still screw up the moose meet and add the dunes to that wee mess and there is a problem for sure. ARC has already admitted that it will be impossible to have a total ban for horses, fishermen etc

You guys def need some from of middle ground.



Yes that is true. But the park ranger in chch told us we were not allowed to buggy on the sports fields anywhere in chch cause we were classed as a vehicle. I asked how they could class that way and was told. Cause it has wheels and is powered....So ok. Keep all childrens prams off as well. they have wheels and are powered....human powered.
And at the moment they dont mind us on the beach even tho no vehicles are allowed. I see that in a way because they are looking at us as a sport. Not as a means of transport. And thats the way i hope it will stay.

But yeah you have to find a middle ground somewhere to be allowed continued use. Either that or totally break there case down to nothing.

You could probably argue what is a powered vehicle and what is not all day long. However the definition of such is then open to interpretation by any ranger, patrol or conservationist given the authority to govern beach use.

As with waterway laws the only way to be sure is to have an exclusion clause added to it's bylaws that clearly defines what we do(or allowed to do) The only way to do this is to get in on the deal, stat your case and hope it is considered when everything is drafted. Keep in mind it's easier to do it now than try and have it reviewed for alteration at a later stage.

Though while buggying in the dunes is one thing, how we get up there in order to camp is another story all together. :?

here in brighton you are politely asked not to even walk on the dunes let alone buggy all over them.

sand dunes are quite fragile, easily eroded and take a long time to recover, they also provide nesting grounds for birds and they are in themselves there own little eco system, the're also our first line of defence from the sea.

i don't agree with things like this being banned, as bans only lead to more bans, but it is important to respect the enviroment, "leave no tracks" and all that...

if only the army didnt already use it to test bombs they would have a point. Im guessing we could ugrue to use the bombing range as there probably isnt any bird life left in that part !!!

The dunes at Brighton are critical as many of the houses there are built on or below sealevel and the vegetation there, especially those succulents are sensitive to trampling. You don't have to go far to find a walkway either. The area of Muriwai we frequent for buggying is a vast empty stormswept expanse with no vegetation except where sheltered or flat enough to take hold. The tussocks are too lumpy for anything but clattering your teeth out anyway. These are also often swept away by storm tides that some areas are completely different each year.

I thought that bombing had ceased(the airforce is not what it used to be) and DOC is rehabilitating the area while parts are only off limits due to unexploded munitions. However it does hold a valid point that little we do - including Kent's annual fireworks antics - couldn't be any worse. In the past we have been approached by DOC rangers asking us to stay clear of cordoned nesting sites and it's never been an issue. Hardly ripping up grassy dune cliffs like I've seen MX'ers do sometimes and the bigfoot buggies needed to traverse the soft barren dunes do little to damage native grasses. I'm still to be convinced that kites scare birds away too... how many times have I had to kindly avoid curious gannets flying in formation with my gear or trying to land on it while I'm taking a break.

just a general moan.

the only thing banning does is remove the honest law abiding person. the guy thats going to wreck it for every one wont give a shit about the laws and will trash the place anyway.

on that note
the army was at south head (mooseland) on saturday,
blowing up shit.
has anyone told them that ARC / DOC want it

They were? Well if that's the case then between west coast storms and using the area for ordinance disposal there's definitely little we can add to wreck ecological harmony eh!

I can see the other side of the argument though. About a month ago I took some visiting friends to Muriwai on a still, sunny Sunday morning. Not the usual conditions I choose for going to a beach. What we found when we got there was like a scene from Mad Max. 4x4's, quads and MX's on a ripped up beach through a haze of 2-strok exhaust. The usual stuck and spinning Familia, skittish horses and dogs being chased by frantic owners. Not entirely what I had in mind to show our friends. Should've gone to Piha instead. :O)