Hastings District Council to Support Public Access to Clifton Camp

Councillors today voted to fund $10,000 per year to the lease of private land for a public road to the Clifton Motor Camp.

Mayor Lawrence Yule has been in negotiations with the Clifton Reserve Society on how to maintain vehicle access after high seas washed away the access road two months ago.

At today’s full council meeting Mayor Yule asked that council contribute $10,000 annually to lease land further back on Angus Gordon’s land, in addition to the Society’s contribution.

Council supported his request for as long as the camp is in operation.

Mayor Yule also asked councillors to consider HDC’s future involvement in the removal of the debris from the former beach front road – built by the former County Council and the Clifton Reserve Society.

“The beach has to be cleaned up. It’s a public piece of land and it’s a mess,” Mayor Yule says.

“Tarseal from the road and concrete and reinforcing steel broken loose from a seawall put there to hold it up will be washed up the coast and it will be dangerous – we need to find a solution.”

Several options for disposing of the debris are being investigated with an estimated cost of anywhere from $100,000 to $300,000.

It is expected the society will make a contribution to the removal of the debris but councillors have suggested a three-way split between the Society, HDC and Hawke’s Bay Regional Council.

“Once the options for removal are clear the costs will be reported back to Council to deliberate on. I’m hopeful the total cost will be nearer $150,000,” Mayor Yule says.