Residents Face A Head-On With Off-Road Drivers

With four-wheel drive vehicles using both sides of the road into Onemana as an off-road track, the time has arrived when local residents have had enough.

The matter was raised recently at the Onemana Residents and Community Associations annual meeting, it has now been followed up by association chairman, Rob Andrew, who says the practice is putting both locals and visitors at risk.

According to Rob, this summer period has been the worst for many years with drivers of the vehicles ignoring attempts to stop vehicles destroying both sides of Whitipirorua Road – being the entrance from State Highway 25 into the coastal community.

Prior to the holiday season he had worked with the local forestry operators who agreed to use large rocks to block the entrances to the tracks. Instead, the four-wheel drivers teamed up and together with strops, pulled the rocks aside reopening their tracks.

“One day there is going to be a fatality or a really, really bad accident – the danger is unbelievable.”

Rob quotes examples of residents approaching drivers and asking them to stop the practice, only to be followed back into Onemana which he describes as threatening behaviour.

A further issue was that people use the area walks and cycling, now according to Rob they risk being confronted by a four-wheel drive vehicle.

Added to this is the clay and mud that the vehicles carry out on to the road surface.

Rob said the matter needed airing as the behaviour was unacceptable and needed to be stopped. He said it was damaging property and posed a significant risk to anyone using Whitipirorua Road as a pedestrian, cyclist and motorists.

He looks forward to continuing to work with the forestry operators and local authorities while also seeking co-operation from four-wheel driver users to move their activities to more appropriate venues.