The next step in protecting Hawke's Bay's coast has been taken - with the launch of a new phase of the Clifton to Tangoio Coastal Hazards Strategy 2120.
Over the course of 2017, two Coastal Hazard Assessment Panels containing 80 appointed members will be looking for long-term local solutions to the challenges posed by climate change.
Ahuriri's East Pier hosted the launch earlier this week where the members - representing communities from Clifton to Tangoio - were joined by Hastings Mayor Lawrence Yule, Napier mayor Bill Dalton, and Hawke's Bay Regional Council chair Rex Graham.
Coastal Hazards Joint Committee Chair Peter Beaven said with an expected 1.5 metre sea level rise over the next hundred years, "whatever measures we implement, we need to tackle this problem to reduce the angst for our coastal settlements and give certainty to our wider community".
With the three councils - Hastings, Napier, and Hawke's Bay Regional - committed to the process, Mr Beaven said this would be "the best opportunity to date" for coastal communities to engage with councils on the issue.