The long-running bollard dispute at Hakatere Huts has finally come to a close, but some locals remain unhappy that the camping ban is still in place. The Ashburton District Council unanimously decided on June 3 to keep the 31 bollards permanently removed and maintain the camping prohibition at the Hakatere Huts reserve, a picturesque spot at the mouth of the Hakatere/Ashburton River in Canterbury.
Hakatere Huts, a coastal settlement divided into upper and lower sections, has been at the center of community debate since the bollards were installed in February 2023. The bollards were originally placed at the Upper Hakatere Reserve to prevent vehicles from accessing the area after the council closed it to camping.
Community representatives Gary Clancy and TJ Jonker expressed that the permanent removal of the bollards acknowledged that the posts should never have been put up. Despite this, they voiced ongoing dissatisfaction with what they described as an undemocratic decision made by council staff without wider consultation. A petition opposing the closure and calling for the bollards to be removed and camping reinstated was signed by 95 of the 120 Hakatere residents.
Clancy and Jonker remain firm in their stance, disappointed that the camping ban was not lifted. They pointed out that the closure has deprived the community of a valued facility that had been successfully operating since the 1960s, appreciated not only by locals but also by visitors to this unique part of the Ashburton District.
The pair met with council chief executive Hamish Riach on May 22 to reiterate their concerns about what they called a flawed process behind both the bollard installation and the camping ban. Riach described the meeting as a roundtable discussion where their concerns were acknowledged.
The controversy led to the formation of a working group last year, consisting of three Ashburton councillors and three Hakatere Huts residents, tasked with finding a solution. Following a trial removal of the bollards over summer 2024, the group agreed the bollards did not need to be put back, but the camping issue remained divisive.
Councillor Russell Ellis, who chaired the working group, noted that while some community members wanted camping allowed in the upper area, there was no clear consensus. Councillor Richard Wilson, also on the group, supported keeping the camping ban, highlighting that Lower Hakatere offers an excellent alternative with new toilets installed in May and good access, making it a fit-for-purpose campsite.
With the bollards staying down but the camping ban still enforced, the debate at Hakatere Huts remains a point of contention between the council and some members of the local community.
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