Unfortunately, the Asher Review did not consider erosion solutions between Hardinge Rd and Bay View cannot affect beaches between Clifton and Clive or the distinctly different causes of beach erosion north and south of the Port.
NCC should not hand HBRC control of erosion between Hardinge Rd and Bay View until HBRC accepts responsibility for all beach damage north of the Napier Port.
In my view, my 57-page detailed submission (supported by NZ's top coastal scientist) proved the "significant cause" is sediment loss from the nearshore seabed – not the visible weakened upper beach, which is consequential damage.
This is why both councils finally conceded in 2017 that the hideous annual Beach Nourishment Scheme since 1987 (by trucking-in loose river shingle to replace eroded sand) has failed to "hold the coastline".
NCC must insist HBRC simply replicates natural beach replenishment and ensures every grain of sand, trapped in the regularly deepened and widened shipping channel, is dredged and placed in the nearshore where it would otherwise naturally drift by longshore currents.
Dredges working for the port must bottom dump sand within the nearshore but due to loaded drafts, a proportion needs to be pumped or "rainbowed" (sprayed off the bow) into the southern end within 200m of the beach at yearly intervals (maybe biennially).
All sand placed in this "surf zone" will eventually benefit every beach north to Tangoio.
My submission in 2009 proved the "nearshore sediment deficit" was 200,000cu m and another in 2014 (based on HBRC beach-profile data) proved the deficit had reached 406,000cu m.
Both were rejected so the depleted nearshore seabed at the southern end remains unattended.
Westshore has had two moderate swell events with unpredicted 3m waves in March 2015 and March 2021 that inflicted major damage. A severe event, similar to 7m waves measured at the Port in August 1974 and when the nearshore was fully intact, will be devastation.
Many residents and considerable assets are at high risk while both councils waste almost $500,000 per year, when less than $10,000 per year should be an added legitimate maintenance expense for the highly profitable Port Company.
According to the Dutch Dredging Company (operator "Albatros" suction dredge) the extra work beyond bottom dumping sand is minimal cost. It could save 1334 coastal properties and City assets ($440 million RVs in 2014) which have been red-zoned "high risk" by the Coastal Strategy.
NCC dismissed the hard fight for the Westshore Nearshore Restoration Project and withdrew it from the current Long Term Plan because it was "low priority' and deemed "non-essential work". The $13 million cost was ridiculous and the reasoning to not act was appalling.
Quotes on record:
1984 Port chief engineer: "taking dredged sand across to Westshore would restore the natural sand movement that would occur if the port did not have a shipping channel".
2005 Port CEO: "the port has never denied it has an impact on Westshore Beach".
2013 Coastal scientist Prof Komar: "sand trapped in the channel would otherwise replenish Westshore Beach".
2017 Coastal scientist Dr Cowell: "the channel acts as a 'sink' for beach replenishment".
2018 Coastal scientist Dr Hume: "channel dredging increases the loss of sediment for the nearshore at Westshore".
In 2021 HBRC rejected my submission without detail and responded "our views remain disparate".
HBRC's only admission to liability appeared in Supporting Information for the LTP Consultation Document (page 34 cl 11): "HBRC is unable to allocate costs in accordance with its preference of Westshore renourishment because there remains uncertainty with regard to the impact of port structures on rates of erosion, and there are no legal means of identifying and collecting income from exacerbators".
NCC should challenge this legal advice.
Larry Dallimore is a former Napier city councillor and long-time campaigner for Westshore Beach.
