This might look like a good promo photo for a motor vehicle importer, but the vehicle shouldn’t be there.
In its reply last month the council said that 16 permits had been issued for supposedly ‘handicapped’ whitebaiters and people who wanted to install or repair their own seawalls to drive vehicles onto the beach.
The whitebait season is now over and there are no seawalls in this area — or any need for them.
If you see any vehicle in this area that isn’t an emergency service one, report details to the council, ideally with a photo.
Update
In the comment, a reader says that the council protests that it has no power to issue moving vehicle infringement notices — that is the responsibility of the police. Â You would think that the presence of a vehicle, moving or not, is a breach of the bylaw, however the answer is to send reports to both.
Council admins have informed me today that they do NOT have legislative right to fine people – ONLY the Police can do it – the Council can tell them to get the car off the beach but have no powers to make them do so and that most people in a car at the beach seem to know this and flout it and take no notice. The By Law does not allow Council to fine/prosecute etc or make people get their cars off the beach. The number to call is *555 for the transport Police, to report vehicles on the beach, as they shouldn’t be there that far down at the Spit – boaties entering and exiting at the designated driveway areas are ok – but everyone else should be off the beach and certainly not driving at speed or using it as a road. Take a photo and number plate and date and time and call it in *555 and then let Kapiti Police know too if possible. It seems we need to beef up the By- Law??