Work is advancing quickly on a new Ecoreef being built in front of Te Awanga lagoon to help protect this section of coastline from erosion.
Work is advancing quickly on a new Ecoreef being built in front of Te Awanga lagoon to help protect this section of coastline from erosion.
A coastal Hawke’s Bay resident says he hopes a new form of erosion protection being built in front of the Te Awanga lagoon will be a game-changer for the region.
Roy Boonen said residents were excited to see the Ecoreef going up.
“It will protect the duck pond,which houses the stormwater system, while also protecting the shoreline from erosion.
“Once people see how well it works, it will be a game changer.
“No need to truck in loads and loads of metal only to see it washed out to sea, as has been happening at Westshore for years.”
A spokesperson for Hastings District Council said the Ecoreef was made of a system of hexagonal reinforced, interlocking concrete modules linked together to form a protective structure, necessary in a demanding sea environment.
The Ecoreef is made with honeycomb-shaped interlocking modules filled with rocks. Photo / Jack Riddell
Boonen was part of a group that researched ways to protect the coastline, presenting it to the council after Cyclone Gabrielle.
“We presented our concerns about coastal erosion and the impact this was having on the shoreline and important council assets.
“Without a functioning stormwater system, the community would be compromised.”
The council agreed to fund Ecoreef coastal protection at an estimated cost of $800,000.
Hastings mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said the project would provide increased protection from the effects of coastal erosion for people living along this stretch of the coast.
“This will also provide greater protection to Hastings District Council assets, such as stormwater infrastructure, that are under threat from the sea opposite the lagoon.”
Boonen, who runs a commercial cleaning company, says he loves living in Te Awanga.
“I’ve lived here for 25 years. Heaps of people come here to fish, swim, walk or just watch the sea. We get to do that all the time.”
He said he would like to see the Ecoreef extended and thinks that once people see what it does and the value in it, it would be possible.
The structure is being installed by Lattey Group along a 210m stretch of coast and is estimated to take five weeks to build.
Since 2019, the council has spent more than $3 million on projects to help protect coastal communities, including Clifton revetment (sea wall), coastal reserves planting, Cape View corner protection and Waimārama sea walls.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
