Vehicles will no longer be allowed along a stretch of Hauraki coastland, over concerns for the safety of endangered birds in the area.
The Hauraki District Council has amended its traffic and parking bylaw to exclude all vehicles except emergency vehicles from driving on a roughly 10km-stretch of the Wharekawa Coast beach between Hauarahi Stream in Kaiaua, and Pūkorokoro Stream to the south.
The change follows a request made to the council by the Pūkorokoro Miranda Naturalists’ Trust, expressing the need to protect rare Waharau/Pūkorokoro chenier plain birds and other shorebirds which nest in the area.
The affected stretch of beach is also recognised as part of the Firth of Thames RAMSAR site, a wetland of international significance.
Meanwhile, councillors have also agreed to fund $66,000 for the installation of solar photovoltaic and battery systems at four community facilities in the Hauraki District, to support resilience in the event of emergencies.
The selected sites are the Paeroa and Ngatea war memorial halls, Kerepēhi Marae, and Ngahutoitoi Marae.
The funding will come from the council’s district community projects assistance fund, and will supplement a $264,000 grant from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority’s community renewable energy fund.
The systems are estimated to cost around $88,000 per site, and are expected to be fully installed by September, 2026.
