Hawke’s Bay: Plan to improve coastal flood protection delayed over cost

Surface flooding along the coast at Haumoana in mid-2024. Photo / Paul Taylor

A plan to address coastal flooding and erosion along the Hawke’s Bay coastline has been delayed and a question mark put on its future, due to the estimated cost of up to $34 million.

The Clifton to Tāngoio Coastal Hazards Strategy has been years in the making, to address the impact of climate change and erosion along the coastline between Tāngoio and Clifton.

The draft strategy was presented to the lead agency Hawke’s Bay Regional Council in August last year.

It set out a swathe of work required at Bay View, Westshore, Haumoana, and Te Awanga in the short term to combat erosion – including the likes of groynes (a low wall or barrier) and “gravel nourishment”.

The cost for that work was estimated between $11m and $34m, which would fall on ratepayers.

The draft strategy was on track to be released for public consultation early this year ahead of implementation.

However, the regional council has now put the brakes on.

On Wednesday, the council unanimously passed a recommendation that “the strategy in its current form is not progressed to implementation at this time”. That includes not going out to public consultation early this year as initially proposed.

Instead, more work will be done by the advisory group working on the draft strategy, including further community engagement which may lead to changes to the draft strategy.

Council papers stated the significant costs, the “ability of households and communities to meet these costs”, and the council’s current focus on Cyclone Gabrielle recovery were all behind the decision.

Councillor Jerf van Beek said, during the meeting, while it was “not ideal” the plan was not being implemented at this stage, the council was still committed to addressing coastal flooding and erosion.

“It is unfortunate for those around the coast – and I hear this often – that we have delayed this,” he said.

“But this is where we find ourselves and we have got much on our plate.

“I still believe that this is core business for us to be enabling and be part of it, and we have made that commitment to our community.

“But at the same time we can defend the place that we are in and we are not actually going back or standing still, we are still planning to move forward. On that basis, I support this.

“But it is not ideal and we all know that.”

In terms of a seawall currently being proposed for Te Awanga, that project is being led by Hastings District Council, and the regional council heard that project is not impacted by the decision to delay the Clifton to Tāngoio Coastal Hazards Strategy being formalised.

Gary Hamilton-Irvine is a Hawke’s Bay-based reporter who covers a range of news topics including business, councils, breaking news and cyclone recovery. He formerly worked at News Corp Australia.