Questions over coast repairs
The viability of continuing to remediate coastal erosion prone sites is being investigated by Auckland Council as it begins $30 million of work to fix some storm damage.
The council is dealing with 139 sites on its land across the region, and there were many more slips on top of this, geotechnical and geological practice lead Ross Roberts told Hibiscus and Bays Local Board members in an update on work being carried out in the board’s area.
Most slips occurred last March, and recent bad weather caused further damage, Roberts said.
Sites had been prioritised by classifying risks to the council and members of the public, he said.
Ranked at the top were Te Araraoa Trail segments Lotus Walk in Browns Bay and Crows Nest Walk in Murrays Bay.
As part of remedial work designs, long term viability needed to be seriously considered, Roberts said.
Sites like Crows Nest, where there was evidence of a previous walk five metres out on now nonexistent cliff top, flagged issues of actively retreating cliffs and coastline, Roberts said.
‘‘These paths are going to continue to get damaged, and over time we will get to a point where there is no pubic land left and we are into private land ... and then the options become very limited.’’
Coastal and Geotechnical Services Team Manager Paul Klinac said the same thinking on cost and viability was being applied to coastal structures like seawall and beach access ways.
‘‘It will get worse over time in many areas, so now is the time to start to prepare.’’
Local board chairwoman Julia Parfitt requested further information on when remediation would occur on an Arkles Bay walkway closed by slips at the end of May. Although it hadn’t made the priority list, people were asking when it would open, she said.
Another slip site at Island Drive in Gulf Harbour would be reshaped to remove ponding, and it was proposed nothing would be done to remediate slips sites at 787 and 821A Whangapara¯ oa Rd and 56 Ardern Ave in Whangapara¯ oa, as there was no public access.