Council gets tough with Pier rule-breakers

20 June 2005

Some Christchurch Pier users need to clean up their act or risk being banned from the Pier, according to Christchurch City Council Regional Parks team manager, Kay Holder.

“For some time, rangers have had problems with people repeatedly disregarding the no fishing zones, putting other people in danger through overhead casting and leaving the pier dirty with discarded fish and bait, “ Ms Holder said

“To enable all visitors to enjoy the pier, we are asking fishers to follow basic rules like not fishing in the no fishing zone and cleaning up after themselves. The Council can issue trespass notices to pier users who are being a nuisance and has done so recently,” she said. 

A trespass notice can ban someone from being on the Pier for up to two years and is enforced by the Police.   Penalties for flouting the ban range from a fine to imprisonment.

Ms Holder said the rules for fishing are clearly marked on the pier in international symbols.  Information is also available in the Fishing at the Christchurch Pier brochure available from New Brighton Library, located at the southern end of the Pier. The brochure includes text in English, Chinese and Korean.

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