While a national study has found New Zealanders are increasingly worried about beach erosion, progress is being made to protect Hawke's Bay's coastline.
The recent Coastal Restoration Trust's survey of 1775 people, conducted by Horizon Research, found almost two-thirds of Kiwis believed beach erosion was worse than it was 20 years ago, and the majority were worried that some New Zealand beaches might vanish forever.
In Hawke's Bay, 71 per cent of those surveyed believed beaches were more eroded now, compared to 20 years ago.
The study also found almost half those who have visited Hawke's Bay beaches in the past year have noticed the effects of beach erosion.
The main causes thought to contribute to accelerate beach loss were climate change, 44 per cent, storm surges, 34 per cent, and coastal development, 31 per cent.
However this year, "the next step" will be taken by a collaborative group tasked with developing a coastal hazards strategy targeted at Hawke's Bay's most populous stretch of coastline.
Since 2014 the collaborative Coastal Hazard Committee has been working to develop the Clifton to Tangoio Coastal Hazards Strategy 2120.
It will identify areas potentially affected by various coastal hazards over the long term and the risks to public and private property, cultural sites and areas, recreational use and infrastructure services.
Chairman of the committee, Peter Beaven, said the "next step" in the process would be launched later this month.
Over the course of the year a community-led process will seek to develop long-term solutions to ensure coastal communities have a greater resilience against coastal erosion.
Separated into two panels of around 20 people each, the cells will focus respectively on the northern, or southern areas of the coastline.
With panel members representing the community, the "bottom-up" approach ensured it was people most affected by coastal erosion who would be working to find inter-generational solutions.
"Other than implementation, this is the final step", Mr Beaven said.
However those involved in the process did have some "really serious work to do" this year - developing solutions, and how they can be financed, before reporting to the Napier City, Hastings District, and Hawke's Bay Regional councils later this year.
With the strategy to manage risks for the next hundred years, it was also need to be adaptable to suit changing future conditions - such as sea level rise.
Coastal Restoration Trust spokesman Tim Park said in many cases New Zealand's beaches were paying the price for overwhelming public popularity.
"We're loving our beaches to death. We're driving on them, building sea walls that change beach dynamics and sand movement, developing beachfront property virtually right on top on them," he said.
"We're shaping and managing our beaches to fit what people want and expect from them, rather than understanding and working with natural processes that are best for healthy, resilient beaches.
"Once a beach is gone, it's gone for good."
While many people saw erosion as a big issue for New Zealand's coasts, research showed beaches could recover if coastal ecosystems - particularly sandy foredunes - were in a healthy, functioning state.
He said in many situations issues could be managed sustainably through "soft" options which "give beaches the space they need to breathe" - such as sand dunes, and looking at the management of coastline property development.