Oreti Beach Antics Getting Out Of Control

Escalating threatening behaviour by hoons in cars at Oreti Beach has prompted fresh calls from neighbouring residents to close access at night.

Oki Street residents Lisa and Courtney addressed the Invercargill City Council on Tuesday (May 26), with their ongoing concerns about the reckless driving, burning of fires, dumping of rubbish and use of drugs.

The Southland Oreti Beach Advocacy Group also called for the beach to be closed at night back in 2024, with council saying at the time it would employ a ranger.

Mayor Tom Campbell told the meeting he walks his dogs on the beach every day, and had also noticed an increase in antisocial behaviour.

“It’s definitely got worse.”

He said hoons in cars used to do donuts about 1-2km further up the beach away from people, “but now they’re doing it at the entrance, and I’ve even had people doing it around me.”

Lisa told the meeting the reviews from visitors using the beach is always about how delighted they are to be able to drive on it, “but when you go there and witness the lunatics doing donuts and hanging out car windows…”

She witnessed a recent incident where a father wasn’t able to access his daughter swimming in the sea, because of the threatening behaviour from hoons around him.

In the past year the behaviour had increased to couches being burnt on the beach, fireworks out of control and setting the sand dunes alight, as well as aggressive dogs.

She said people have also started dumping their rubbish such as washing machines and old tyres on the beach, and now homeless people are sleeping there rough too.

“It’s not what I think the Invercargill beach should be projecting to our visitors,” she said.

Her suggestion was for council to put up a sign at the entrance and close the beach in the evening to stop the behaviour.

Mayor Campbell said they have his absolute sympathies and asked them to pass on their suggestions to the parks and recreation manager.