Safety the priority as storms erode bank near popular gathering spot

Far North District Council teams are working to ensure the safety of an area leading to Paihia Beach, where recent storms have eroded the land around an access ramp.

The ramp runs between the southern end of the beach and an area that has been popular with families since a community-led upgrade. Sitting opposite the Blue Door restaurant, the upgrade was completed in 2023. Generous private donations allowed the Focus Paihia Community Charitable Trust to convert a parking spot into a gathering space with barbeques, a large slide, waterfall and a rock wall.

The recent series of storms have eroded land around the ramp, which is now detached from the bank. However, council staff have arranged free storage for it nearby and are assessing the stability of surrounding land. This will allow them to decide on how to remove the ramp while causing as little additional damage to the area as possible.

Chair of Focus Paihia, Tricia Scott, says, “We appreciate the council’s quick response in a much-loved area that’s had a lot of community input. The space is popular with families and children, so safety is a priority, as well as future access and land resilience.”

People using the gathering space are asked to stay inside safety netting, which council contractor Citycare Property has put up along the affected part of the bank.