Ongoing problems with rubbish dumping, vandalism, stock theft and burnt-out cars have prompted Hawke's Bay Regional Council to close a popular river access point to vehicles.
Photo: Google Maps
From tomorrow, vehicles will not be able to access the Tūtaekurī River from Guppy Road, downstream of the expressway.
The regional council's team leader for river schemes, Antony Rewcastle, said it was disappointing this sort of action had to be taken.
"It's unfortunate to have to exclude vehicles, but it takes a lot of staff and police time and ratepayer money to clean up and monitor, so we've made the decision to limit access," he said.
"We've made sure that all other users, including walkers, cyclists, fishers, motorcyclists, and swimmers, still have good access to enjoy the river from the end of Guppy Road."
Mr Rewcastle said it was a popular spot for recreation, so it was a shame a small number of people had caused problems.