Paihia breakwater plans changed after public opposition

Paihia wharf area would not be as protected by the lowered breakwater. Photo / Peter de Graaf

The design of Paihia's controversial new $13.45 million foreshore storm protection breakwater system has been changed after strong public opposition.

Its northern breakwater height, labelled an eyesore by opponents, has been reduced by more than two thirds.

The controversial project aims to protect the iconic New Zealand tourist spot where giant storm waves have caused about $1m of foreshore damage over the past 20 years. This is expected to triple over the next two decades.

Dropping the height would reduce visual impact, Far North Holdings chief executive Andy Nock said.

The breakwater height had been dropped from 3.6 metres above average low spring tide (mean low water springs or MLWS) to 1.4m. The consent was for a 4m breakwater.

The lowered breakwater made up the first of a two-part system linking storm wave management to expanding Horotutu Beach rebuilding plans.

This has worked towards dropping the breakwater by about a metre in height.
Public opposition to the breakwaters saw a petition with 840 signatures and 3125 names collected online take up 122 pages of FNDC's June 24 meeting agenda, after it was initially presented to Far North councillor Kelly Stratford.

Stratford said yesterday it was good to see designers had listened to community concerns by dropping the marina and eastern attenuator from the Paihia plans.

Nock updated FNDC on the project yesterday. His presentation came ahead of a July 7 hui about the plans at Waitangi's Te Tii Marae.

He said the breakwater was being built in a way that its height could be added to in the event of sea level rise.

Paihia wharf area would not be as protected by the lowered breakwater, but it was a robust structure engineered to cope with robust conditions.

The Government last year put $8m towards the project. Far North District Council (FNDC) has just signed off paying the $5.845m balance.

Future change was part of the plan, Andy Finch, FNDC general manager infrastructure and asset management, said.

"One of the major benefits and probably financially the greatest benefit will be the protection of the Paihia waterfront, associated infrastructure and property from severe weather events. With rising sea levels and climate change, the risks and consequences of major damage and cost will continue to increase," Finch said.

"In the event rising sea levels and or storm events were in fact causing damage beyond that forecast in the modelling then the opportunity still exists to raise these breakwaters to further improve the protection," he said.

Giant waves have caused almost $1 million in Paihia waterfront damage in last 20 years. Photo / File

Finch said other changes were Far North Holdings removing the inner western breakwater from initial planning and instead building a groyne into the sea from Nihonui Point (the Bluff) to create a Horotutu Beach abutment to protect the new beach.

Opponents were concerned the original breakwater plan would provide easy pest access to Motumaire Island.

Nock said designers had looked more closely at the role of Horotutu Beach, between Paihia wharf and Nihonui Point (the Bluff) in reducing breakwater height.

Its length and height would be greater. Horotutu was Paihia's busiest beach in the 1950s and 60s but has since been lost to erosion.

"… we have come up with a really good solution, making the beach a critical part of the infrastructure," Nock said.

"That's allowed adjustment with breakwater height by .8 to 1.2m below mean low water springs (MLWS)."

Nock said once rebuilt, the beach would help reduce the force of storm waves. Beach sand would be about 3m deep.

More than 50,000 tonnes of Pakiri sand is to be used to rebuild Horotutu Beach, up 75 per cent from the previously planned 20,000 tonnes.

The government-funded $8m breakwater project was for a 170m-long northern breakwater between Motumaire and Taylor islands just off the Paihia foreshore, an inner western breakwater and beach abutment, an outer west breakwater and dredging a new navigation channel.

Finch said the council was paying for the system's eastern breakwater, Horotutu Beach replenishment and foreshore park and promenade development.

Original planning also proposed a reclamation the size of four rugby fields with tourism-related buildings and a 160m-long floating wave attenuator to cut down wave energy. This was to have 12 boat berths.

Stratford said the project was not popular but it would help protect critical infrastructure.