Wet-bike service granted a trial

Press, 18 February 1986, Page 5

Wet-bike service granted a trial

A wet-bike hire service will be allowed to run off Scarborough for a trial period of up to three months.

The council adopted a parks and recreation committee recommendation to allow the bikes to run between 9 a.m. arid 7 p.m., subject to other conditions. Motors will be allowed to be started and run only when the exhaust system is under water and an access lane for the bikes will be designated. Noise levels and safety will be monitored during the trial, and organisations in Sumner will be Invited to make submissions after the trial period. The owner of the bikes can have the right to run the service withdrawn at any time during the trial. Cr David Close said that having seen and heard a demonstration of one of

the bikes, the noise was not excessive. Outboard motors made more noise, he said.

Cr Clive Cotton said a plan for wet bikes was in the wrong place at the wrong time. During two days of last week he had had 48 calls from people opposed to the bikes.

Wet bikes would set a precedent for commercial activity on Sumner beach which was a cherished area of Christchurch, said Cr Cotton. It was wrong to mix active and passive recreation in the same area.

A Sumner resident, Mr Rupert Glover, plans to start a petition against the bikes and hold a public meeting to test the strength of opposition. A leaflet sent to residents in Sumner, Scarborough, Clifton, and Richmond Hill last week called on those opposed to the bikes to telephone

their council representatives.

Mr Glover said his own telephone had been “hot” last week with concerned callers. None had been in favour of the bikes.

Danger to swimmers and surfers was the main concern, said Mr Glover. Two privately owned wet bikes had already had two near misses and surfers had already complained to the council about them, he said. The bikes would cause congestion and problems for other boat users.

Noise was also a problem.

“Unlike motor boats they do not go out to sea but circle endlessly and mindlessly for hours and hours. I don’t want to stop people using wet bikes but just to stop them using Sumner beach,” said Mr Glover.

The council had bought itself a fight, he said.