Te Oneroa-a-Tōhe Beach Board is launching its Summer Safety programme in a bid to protect locals and the influx of visitors to the beach this summer.
The Board says the new initiatives honour the ancient spiritual pathway of Te Ara Wairua and aim to safeguard the natural environment along the full length of Te Oneroa-a-Tōhe.
Effective December, the speed restriction on Te Oneroa-a-Tōhe will be enforceable, with signage to be unveiled on 21 December:
- 30km/hr for 200 meters either side of the beach off/on ramps and
- 60km/hr for the remainder of Te Oneroa-a-Tōhe.
Additional signs promoting safe driving and awareness of Te Oneroa-a-Tōhe will remind drivers to respect the spiritual pathway of Te Ara Wairua, the Board said in a statement.
“Please note Te Oneroa-a-Tōhe is not a highway and it should be considered an ultimate privilege to use and receive from this iconic taonga,” it said.
“As Kaitiaki (stewards) of this treasured taonga, we ask all who visit this summer to uphold the mauri (wellbeing) of Te Oneroa-a-Tōhe in accordance with our ancestral traditions – by honouring Te Ara Wairua, respecting the natural habitat and keeping safe along the road.
“Camping, campervans, hitchhiking, fires and littering are prohibited along the length of the beach. The Board are also requesting that dogs remain on leash whilst around other visitors and to keep them away from dotterels and other nesting shorebirds.”
