Hawke's Bay coastal erosion: Westshore's shingle wall smashed by swells

Westshore resident Norm Fraser says the flooding is the worst he has seen. Photo / Warren Buckland

A shed of kayaks hit by a raging sea, a bank of renourished shingle crumbling like a pack of cards and picnic tables surrounded by salty water.

Longtime Westshore resident Norm Fraser is used to the erosion woes along his stretch of paradise, but this week's swells were something else.

On Friday morning he awoke to a wall of shingle flooding the picnic area and storage sheds at the back of the Charles St public toilets.

He said in the 15 years he has lived in the area he has seen waves break over the top but has never seen it this flooded.

Image 1 of 5: Only seagulls enjoyed the flooding. Photo / Warren Buckland

The long-besieged beach, once one of Hawke's Bay's best sandy strips, is now "renourished" with shingle by Hawke's Bay Regional Council every year.

Chris Dolley, regional council group manager - asset management, said the waves along the Napier coast were the "biggest and most threatening waves we've seen in the past six years".

"There have been some waves which sent sea wave, wash, spray and shingle into the front yards of some seaside houses and council reserves," Dolley said.

"We've seen the importance of the protection already in place along the coast, such as the gravel bank at Westshore, which has minimised the damage from the waves."

Clifton Beach had also been hit hard, he said.

"Along Westshore, the strategy is looking at alternatives to land-based gravel renourishment, such as offshore sand renourishment using sand dredged from the port fairway."

Westshore beach was last replenished with shingle in October 2020 as part of an annual renourishment plan.

Fraser said he wasn't a fan of renourishment, and says the swells this week show why.

"They do it every year and every year it gets washed away. It's just a waste of money, of ratepayers' money."

He said he was concerned the salt water would kill all of the grass in the flooded area. Shingle is now also filling a block of toilets which has been closed for a few years.

Swells breached the shingle bank overnight, flooding the picnic area of the beach on Friday. Photo / Warren Buckland

He said it was a shame to see the toilets closed.

A Napier City Council spokeswoman said the toilet block will not be reopened "because of the continual inundation by the sea".

"The storage area at the back is used by Kiwi Beach Surf Club. Until they have somewhere else to store their gear the building will remain, unless it becomes unsafe."

Wading through the water and opening up the storage sheds to check the gear inside on Friday afternoon, director of lifeguarding and Westshore resident Matt Mannington said there had been flooding before but it hadn't been this high in about six years.

Matt Mannington of Ocean Beach Kiwi surf life saving club checks equipment in a storage shed that was flooded at Westshore beach. Photo / Warren Buckland

Larry Dallimore, a former Napier City Councillor who has been vocal about erosion at Westshore, said the swells were only moderate, "only barely over two metres measured off the port instruments".

"Westshore has done exactly what I've warned both councils [Napier City Council and Hawke's Bay Regional Council] in my 50-page submissions.

"The beach is vulnerable to moderate swells, let alone a severe swell."

In the condition the beach is at the moment, a more extreme swell would threaten properties, he said.

The shingle renourishment is "like putting lipstick on a pig".

"You cannot replace sand by putting loose stones on it."

Clifton was also hard hit by recent swells. Photo Supplied

Dallimore said that in 1974, 7m waves were measured at the port and Westshore "was resilient to those swells".

"The reason for that is that the sand that was naturally replenishing Westshore beach from the beginning of time was unimpaired."

Hawke's Bay Regional Council has been contacted for comment.