ECan plan powerless to protect

Environment Canterbury (ECan) admits it is powerless to safeguard an environmentally and culturally sensitive North Canterbury beach from vehicle damage.

ECan's regional coastal environment plan is failing to protect the Ashley River mouth and adjoining Waikuku Beach from irresponsible people driving four-wheel-drive vehicles and riding quad bikes and motorbikes.

The area is a popular spot for whitebaiting, fishing, bird-watching, walking, swimming and water-based recreation.

ECan principal planner (coastal) David Gregory told yesterday's regional planning committee that the rules had proved "unworkable and unenforceable".

"The issue here is that the `coastal marine area', over which the rules apply, is extremely difficult to define and can change on a daily basis. It is, therefore, almost impossible to define if and when an offence has taken place."

He said bylaws had been more effective in other parts of the country, with control of vehicles shared between regional and local councils.

A proposed plan change to allow for a bylaw would bring social, environmental and cultural benefits and enhance the ability of Maori to use the coastal area, he said.

Councillors voted 6-4 in favour of the change, with deputy chairwoman Jo Kane abstaining.

Gregory told The Press the problem was the complicated definition of "coastal marine area" in the Resource Management Act. A bylaw would allow for quicker enforcement.

"The Ashley estuary has high value, with significant bird life; nests not easy to see. Unrestricted vehicle use by irresponsible people is damaging those values," he said.

ECan regulation director Kim Drummond said a better definition of "coastal marine area" might be all the land touched by seawater.

"When the river goes down or the tide goes out, you can see the vehicle impacts on the mudflats, where people have been doing doughnuts."

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