Dannevirke: Crispin in call for sea-wall consents

Tararua district councillor Jim Crispin

Tararua district councillor Jim Crispin is adamant the council should have robust discussions with Horizons Regional Council on consents for a sea wall at the beach community.

"We should be doing something to protect what we've got out there and there's a feeling in the Akitio community that they accept responsibility to contribute," he said.

The Akitio Ratepayers Association has asked the council to fund the consent application process for the sea wall work at the beach.

"The application included in the council's long-term plan was rejected," Peter Greatbatch, chairman of the ratepayers association, said in a letter to council. But residents have highlighted their concerns about the continued erosion of the foreshore and are offering to obtain funding for work from affected ratepayers.

When this matter was last considered by the council, after community consultation as part of the long-term plan, councillors confirmed their position was not to budget funding for the sea wall, or to hold the resource consent, as at the time there was no certainty a consent would be approved and fears storms could cause significant damage to sea walls, with climate change expected to reduce the effectiveness of a wall over time. The Akitio community felt its contribution to the tourist and coast attractions was under-valued because of that decision.

However, council chief executive Blair King acknowledged the Akitio community was keen for the work to go ahead.

"They want us to do something, but someone has to hold the resource consent because work does hold some kind of liability," he told councillors. "I know the community are after us [Tararua District Council] to get a consent."

Mr King said his council had to do the leg work.

"[But] we should leave this on the table until we've held a meeting with Horizons Regional Council."

The council's decision to revisit the situation has arisen after the access road to Akitio from Weber was significantly eroded near the river mouth.

The Tararua Alliance was successful in obtaining $150,000 in funding from the New Zealand Transport Agency to rebuild the erosion but, between the original estimate being submitted and the work being completed, another 30m had slumped, meaning the wall required extending.

Councillors have been told any consent for the coastal section between the boating club and toilet block could cost $20,000 and the council hasn't allocated a budget within the current long-term plan. A cultural values assessment may also be required at a cost of between $10,000 and $12,000.