A Christchurch City Council candidate for Banks Peninsula said “enough is enough” when it comes to boy racer activity disturbing the peace of Lyttelton and harbour communities.
Dave Dunlay said the long-running problem has plagued residents for more than 20 years, with weekend nights often dominated by noise, speeding, and dangerous driving.
He has been working with local Cass Bay residents and the Belfast Residents Area Association to implement a practical, community-driven solution.
Dunlay is organising a public community meeting on Thursday 25 September 6pm at the Lyttelton Recreation Centre where proven options to deter boy racers already used successfully in Belfast will be outlined. Residents who have been working tirelessly on this issue will have the chance to share their experiences and shape next steps.
The government’s Anti-Social Road Use Legislation Amendment Bill, introduced in July, will allow vehicle forfeiture for street racing and burnouts, strengthen police powers to close roads, raise fines for excessive noise, and impose $1,000 penalties for failing to disperse.
“This is a good start, but our communities have been living with this problem for decades. We need real, on-the-ground action and that’s what this meeting will outline,” Dunlay said.
Charlotte Gavin, chair of the Belfast Residents Area Association, said her community rallied together to face the boy racer issue.
“We installed a portable CCTV camera in April 2024, and vehicles were impounded within weeks, burnout hotspots were abandoned, and by March 2025 complaints had fallen to near zero. Police say the cameras freed up officers for urgent callouts while giving communities real relief,” Gavin said.
“This was our last resort to bring peace back to our community. We’re not against car culture in controlled environments, but on our streets, it was dangerous and unacceptable,” she said.
“Portable cameras gave us the evidence, the police acted, and Belfast finally has relief. It makes my heart soar to see Lyttelton now making progress too,” Gavin added.
Local residents say the toll on families has become intolerable. Cass Bay resident Scott Adams said, “Every resident of Cass Bay is driven mad. We’re woken after midnight most weekends by boy racers with excessively loud exhausts, and many of us fear driving at these times because near-misses and crashes are common.”
Another Cass Bay resident Dr Miguel de Valdenebro said, “This is not a minor nuisance. I have personally treated serious accidents in Christchurch Hospital ICU as a direct result of reckless driving. The problem has gone on far too long without improvement. It’s a community safety issue that demands stronger action.”
The community will need to raise over $4,000 to fund a two-month trial of a portable speed camera that can be rotated around Lyttelton Harbour and Gebbies Valley. Speeding evidence will be checked daily and shared with NZTA for possible enforcement, with police as key partners.
Dunlay said, “This is the community taking charge, working alongside council, police and NZTA to deliver the first real step toward peace and safety for our neighbourhoods.”
