Urgent safety improvements and a vehicle barrier at Chapel Street, Tauranga

To Tauranga City Council

We, the undersigned, call on Tauranga City Council to urgently investigate the risk of vehicles entering the water beside Chapel Street, near the Waikareao Estuary in Tauranga, following the death of 18-year-old Maddison (Maddy) Aitken on 16 October 2026.

Maddy had only recently moved to Tauranga to begin her future. Her life was tragically cut short, leaving her loved ones devastated.

We ask Council to investigate previous crashes and incidents at this location, urgently assess the existing safety measures, and install an effective vehicle-restraint barrier along the exposed waterside edge. We also request interim safety measures while a permanent solution is progressed.

Please act urgently to help prevent another tragedy and another family enduring this heartbreak