Fleur Ferris and brother Dein Ferris are part owners of a 1.5-hectare piece of land at Makorori Beach which will now be closed to vehicles. Photo: Paul Rickard
A section of foreshore next to a popular Gisborne beach will be closed indefinitely to vehicles after four-wheel drivers "desecrated" it.
The 1.5-hectare piece of land stretches about 300 metres along Makorori Beach and is privately owned by the Ferris whānau who previously allowed full access to the public.
But reckless off-road enthusiasts forced the hand of the owners who are fed up with the muddy mess.
Fleur Ferris is representative of the owners who have made the difficult decision to close the land indefinitely while regenerative work takes place.
"It's been desecrated as far as our whānau is concerned," she said. "We're hoping the public will be able to respect that we want to restore it and that's why it's closed off. There'll be a lot of upset people."
Located next to the popular surf break known as Red Bus, the land has been accessible for parking when conditions are good, catching the overflow from a council-owned carpark nearby.
Ferris said the issue of people disrespecting the land had been happening for years, but was getting worse.
The land stretches about 300m down Makorori Beach and is a popular parking spot when the surf is good. Photo: Ben Cowper/Gisborne Herald
She was disappointed by the behaviour, especially considering the owners were doing the public a favour by allowing access.
"The only way to stop this is to close this off to the public. They'll be able to walk through here but they won't be able to drive in here and park in here. We need to restore it, clearly."
On the day Local Democracy Reporting visited, a late model Toyota Hilux was partially submerged in a pool of mud waiting for a tow.
The driver was wary of having his vehicle photographed, and covered his number plate with mud to avoid identification.
Downer will close off the entrance points from the main road before the area is left to dry out for grading and replanting.
The public will still be able to access the land by foot.
Makorori Beach is a stretch of coastline about two kilometres long, 15 minutes north of Gisborne city centre.
Local Democracy Reporting is Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
