A popular hilltop road overlooking Tūranganui-a-Kiwa Poverty Bay and Gisborne city could end up being closed overnight after frequent acts of vandalism.
By Imogen Brophy of Local Democracy Reporting
Gisborne District Council is seeking public feedback on a proposal to close Titirangi Maunga/Kaiti Hill to vehicles overnight from 10pm to 6pm year-round, or from 10pm until 5am during the summer.
The proposal was put forward following complaints from Ngāti Oneone about vandalism, anti-social behaviour and illegal dumping at the site.
"Ngāti Oneone hapū work tirelessly to keep Titirangi beautiful and safe for everyone," Ngāti Oneone chairperson Charlotte Gibson said.
"The bad behaviour of a few, dumping rubbish and dead animals, abandoning wrecked cars and driving over planted areas, is why we asked council to look at closing the road overnight. Tiaki taiao, tiaki whenua, tiaki tangata: caring for our environment, our land and our people."
District councillor Larry Foster, who has lived next to Titirangi for 50 years, said disruption and damage had been common for years.
"It has always been abused by the minority. My wife and I take our dog for walks along the track, and we often see vehicles over the edge."
Alongside stolen and discarded vehicles, rubbish was dumped in clearings that lacked visibility from the road, Foster said.
"Lots of people use it for fitness, and they're just horrified. There’s rubbish, there’s green waste, there’s sometimes carcasses."
Foster also had concerns about disruption and the fire hazard caused by frequent early-morning firework detonations over the weeks surrounding Guy Fawkes.
He believed seasonally adjusted overnight closures would deter the behaviour, as the maunga was heavily used during the day.
"We could have different hours for the closure over winter. Why would you want to go up there when it’s dark?"
The spot was popular for watching the sunrise, so earlier opening during summer would be plausible, he said.
Council director of liveable communities Michele Frey said the maunga would still be accessible to pedestrians and cyclists during a closure period.
"What we're asking the community about is whether they support closing vehicle access overnight, using lockable gates at each end of the road (Queens Drive and Titirangi Drive]."
Gates would be controlled daily by council contractors, and emergency services, Civil Defence and Ngāti Oneone would hold keys for around-the-clock access.
"Closure times would be flexible for special events on the maunga like Fire in the Sky [on New Year’s Day]," she said.
The feedback period closes at 5pm on August 14 and the council expects to decide on October 15.
– LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
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