Te Mata Peak curfew likely

Te Mata Peak Rd is facing possible night-time closure after a series of incidents including crashes, fires, vandalism and rubbish dumping.

While the death of a teenager when a car left the road last week happened mid-morning, Te Mata Park Trust chairman Bruno Chambers said many of the crashes on the peak road took place at night.

Notably, a night-time crash on November 27 badly injured a man. He was thrown from a vehicle which plunged down the banks from a carpark.

As well, the slopes were scorched by fire started by fireworks early on December 16.

Safety has been a serious issue for many years, with it now being almost 30 years since the worst tragedy, the deaths of three teenagers as a car plunged through the darkness down the peak on April 23, 1983.

Kirsty van Rijk, who with husband Raymond ran the Peak House restaurant which closed a year ago, said problems increased over about the first 10 of the 26 years they were in the business, mainly due to "societal changes," but she doubted if problems had increased in recent years.

She said it would be a shame to stop people going up the peak because of the behaviour and activities of a few.

Mr Chambers said cars, vandalism, wilful damage, arson and illegal rubbish dumping had been long-running issues after sunset at the peak.

It had been "impossible" to close the main gates at night because the trust had to provide access to the restaurant.

"Now that the restaurant is closed it may be prudent to close the road to traffic after dark to prevent these tragic incidents," he said.

Other suggestions for making the road safer have included road-side barriers or a cable car, but while both options have been considered neither is considered appropriate, given the iconic nature of the peak.

"Roadside barriers sturdy enough to prevent a car going over the edge require a huge amount of engineering and would be visible from the plains," Mr Chambers said.

Te Mata Peak was also protected in the Hastings District Plan.

"The Park is also under a QEII covenant which gives further protection to the character of the park," Mr Chambers said.

"So a cable car would be out of the question."

"It should also be considered that the peak is a very special place to local mana whenua, so their values for this sacred area are important too."

The trust will await the coroner's report from last week's death and consider any recommendations on the safety of the road.