Northland surf club asks council to let it fund $1.9m Mangawhai slip repair

The Mangawhai Heads Volunteer Lifeguard Service clubrooms are closed off by a slip, taking extra time to get to rescues, says Jess Costello, surf club chairperson and search and rescue co-ordinator. Photo / Michael Cunningham

A Northland surf club is so worried about the risk to life from its slip-closed clubrooms, it has made the unusual move of offering to repair the slip itself.

The February 2023 slip caused 560cu m of rocks to crash down on the Mangawhai Heads Volunteer Lifeguard Service clubrooms, narrowly missing professional lifeguards working inside at the time.

The slip on Kaipara District Council land also damaged Māori heritage sites, including unearthing kōiwi (human remains).

While the clubrooms are insured, the slip makes the area so dangerous that not even insurance assessors are allowed on-site and the clubrooms sit open to the weather.

Since the rockfall, the Mangawhai Heads Volunteer Lifeguard Service has been operating out of trailers and containers on a safe part of the Mangawahi Heads car park.

The temporary set-up is not only inconvenient, it adds a considerable amount of time to get to out-of-hours rescues, when time could be a matter of life and death.

To help speed up the process, the surf club voluntarily investigated solutions, using the expertise of a member, civil engineer David Wheatley, and working with Te Uri o Hau.

Independent geotechnical advice favoured a repair with rockfall drapery mesh and rock bolts, at a cost of $1.9 million. This would move material from behind the surf club, using it as erosion protection at the front of the clubhouse.

The club presented its findings to Kaipara District Council in December, when the council said it would look at ways of funding the repair costs.

But the urgency of repairing the clubhouse and cost pressures on the council have prompted the surf club to work with Surf Life Saving New Zealand to fund the slip repair itself.

Wheatley and Mangawhai Heads Volunteer Lifeguard Service chairperson Jess Costello presented to the council last week, asking for approval to take on the slip repair costs.

“We don’t want any more risk to the public,” Costello told the council.

The slip, after the Auckland and Northland Anniversary Weekend flooding, saw 560cu m of rock fall on Kaipara District Council reserve and onto the Mangawhai Heads Volunteer Lifeguard Service clubrooms.

“We have got the backing of Surf Life Saving New Zealand and we are backing ourselves to crowdfund, potentially with central government funding,” she said.

“We cannot wait any longer when lives are at risk.”

In return for the slip repair, the club is asking the council for a 33-year lease on the land, with right of renewal for a second 33-year lease.

Costello said the surf club would like the slip repairs to start later this year, so it can repair the clubrooms and start patrolling properly, without any more danger to the public.

While the summer surf patrols are over, the club continues to offer a 24/7 search and rescue operation, should anything happen on Mangawhai Bar, Mangawhai Estuary or locals beaches, she said.

Kaipara mayor Craig Jepson was unable to commit to anything so soon after the surf club’s presentation but he appreciated its work to find a solution.

“We will have to bring it to the discussions and work our way through the options.

“But I appreciate that the surf club is looking to try and cover all options themselves to ensure the future of the club - it’s certainly what we want to support.”

Surf Life Saving NZ said Mangawhai Heads Volunteer Lifeguard Service is an integral part of the Kaipara community, including rescuing 17 people and helping with six searches in 2023-24.

“Without their support, hundreds of lives would have been lost,” said northern-region general manager Zac Franich.

While the surf lifeguards have been running without proper facilities, the region is experiencing a surge in beachgoers and demand for extended patrol hours, he said.

The national body is working with the club and council to fund solutions, and the council has been open and cooperative in discussions so far, Franich said.

Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.