TOP STORY: Port cleared of possible erosion

ROGER MORONEY
An independent report into Hawke's Bay shoreline erosion has found no evidence connecting the Port of Napier's breakwater to erosion along the Westshore coastline.
The findings, by American environmental expert Paul Komar, are outlined in the report commissioned by the Napier City Council, the Hawke's Bay Regional Council and the Port of Napier.
While it satisfied Port of Napier's chief executive Garth Cowie, it did not find favour with Murray Bond, of the Westshore Residents and Development Association, who said the report was too broad and did not contain enough specific detail about the Westshore situation.
"There is not enough data being collected on a regular basis to enable a satisfactory conclusion to be drawn," Mr Bond said, adding the report was effectively a review of dozens of earlier reports, and covered the coastline from Cape Kidnappers to Tangoio.
He said it would take at least 50 years of regularly gathered data to "get a good handle" on what was happening. The "waverider" research buoy had only been in the waters of the bay for a few years.
The association has called a meeting of residents for this Thursday to discuss the report.
Mr Bond added that some previous reports had pinpointed the breakwater as an erosion suspect as it prevented the northward flow of material along the coast. However, Dr Komar disputed that.
In the summary findings of his draft report titled Hawke's Bay: Environmental Change, Shoreline Erosion and Management, he concluded that there was "no firm evidence" that the construction of moles at Ahuriri (built in the 19th century to protect the entrance to the original port at the Iron Pot) or the port's breakwater, blocked the northern flow.
"Although disagreements may continue regarding this issue it is ancient history and has largely become irrelevant to the successful management of the Hawke's Bay coast," Dr Komar said.
Westshore resident Doug Black said he tended to agree with the report and said the main culprit for erosion was the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake.
"It shifted the mouth of the Tutaekuri to Awatoto and that denied silt coming down the original channel (at the inner harbour)."
Mr Black said two geologists he had consulted had also adopted that view. There had been an attempt to dig out and open the channel in 1912 to allow bigger vessels into the inner harbour but the silt flow filled it again.
Another resident, Nigel Brown, said he was not convinced the breakwater had not caused beach erosion, although he said the situation had been static for the past five years at the northern end where he lives.
"I think they've only done one replenishment in the past two or three years.
"But I would take more convincing," he said.
The objective of the report was to provide an independent review of past investigations, and the findings were gathered from more than 80 reports which had been drawn up since the mid-1800s.
The Napier City Council had also commissioned Australian erosion expert Peter Cowell to examine some specific aspects or erosion, as it moved to adopt its 2002 coastal hazard line.
He told the district plan hearings committee in April that he had gone through a draft of the report being compiled by Dr Komar and that he tended to agree with him that gravel was not being blocked by the breakwater.
Mr Cowie said the report was vindication of the port's position over many years that it was not responsible for the erosion at Westshore.
"We are pleased that this issue which has cast a cloud over the port is now finally over."
He said the challenge now was for all parties to use Dr Komar's report in a "meaningful and productive" way.