Invercargill City Council has advised that the beach entrance off Dunns Road will be temporarily closed to vehicles this Friday morning for a sand clean-up operation. Contractors will close the entranceway from the car park to the beach between 7am and 12pm.
While the car park will remain open to the public, pedestrian access to the beach will still be allowed. However, people are being asked to wait until the machinery has stopped before crossing through the work area for their own safety.
As beach weather arrives and more Southlanders begin heading out to enjoy the coast, Police are urging everyone to remember that beach driving still requires safe and legal behaviour.
Senior Sergeant Scott MacKenzie, Southland Area Road Policing Manager, said, “The beach has a speed limit of 30k/h – there is no excuse to be over this limit.” He reminded drivers that although it’s legal to drive on Oreti Beach, all standard road rules apply.
“The days are getting warmer and with school holidays it can be expected that a lot of families with small children and animals will be heading to the beach to enjoy the sun. Anyone driving on the beach needs to be mindful of this, and stay focused on your surroundings,” he said.
Senior Sergeant MacKenzie stressed that the risk of harm is just as serious on sand as it is on sealed roads. He warned that antisocial road behaviour would not be tolerated.
“Some people seem to think that road rules don’t apply to you when on the beach – this is not the case. Antisocial driving behaviour is unacceptable, on and off the beach, and we encourage the community to report the driving behaviour immediately,” he said.
Police encourage beachgoers to report dangerous behaviour as soon as it is seen to give officers the best chance to respond. “Please take note of as much detail as possible, such as registration number of the vehicle, any identifying features of the vehicle and its driver, or even take a video of the driving behaviour if safe to do so,” he said.
To report an incident in progress, call 111. For non-emergency information, phone 105. Crime Stoppers is also available anonymously on 0800 555 111.