Managing coastal erosion at Wainui Beach
How Gisborne District Council proposes to manage coastal erosion at Wainui Beach will be outlined at a public meeting on
Wednesday evening. Council has reviewed its 2003 Wainui Beach Management Strategy with the help of coastal experts and
people representing the interests of groups likely to be affected.
The strategy is close to being finalised, says acting environment and planning group manager Kevin Strongman. “We want
to share the proposals in the strategy with people that may be affected. People living close to Wainui Beach or who are
regular beach users may be interested.
“The strategy aims to ensure people can access the beach, that properties are protected and to conserve and enhance the
natural environment.”
“We know that the shoreline at Wainui Beach changes a lot and often experiences rapid erosion during storms. This is
followed by a slow rebuilding of the dunes. However, over the next couple of decades, sea levels are expected to rise
due to climate change. This is likely to cause the shoreline to retreat in the southern part of the beach.”
“To address this, council will make adjustments to its district planning documents to avoid further development in areas
of Wainui prone to erosion.”
Erosion at Wainui is primarily a risk for Wainui Beachfront property owners. When dwellings are threatened after a
storm, council is proposing to reinstate dunes by pushing-up sand (beach scraping). Council will also encourage planting
with the appropriate plants to restore dunes.”
“Studies indicate there are no existing erosion control structures (such as rock revetments) on Wainui Beach that will
solve the problem of a retreating shoreline in the long term. However, existing groynes and rock walls will be left in
place as they do provide some protection against erosion and have little impact on the beach. A new rock revetment will
be built north of the concrete groyne but other hard erosion control structures will be avoided. The training walls
along Wainui Beach streams will also be maintained.”
The public meeting will be held at the Wainui Surf Club on Wednesday 11 June at 6pm. All are welcome.
“I would like to thank all those who have been involved in the drafting of this strategy. We have had three public
meetings, all with good turn outs from the Wainui community. From those meetings a Key Stakeholder Forum was formed. The
forum has met eight times and spent hours reading reports and talking with the surfing, environmental, property owner
and beach user groups they are part of.”
“A working group formed from the Key Stakeholder Forum members have devoted even more time to the development of the
strategy. They have worked through the big issues integrating the perspectives of different stakeholders and making
recommendations to the stakeholder forum.”
The Wainui Beach Management Strategy can be found on Council’s website or contact Customer Services in Fitzherbert
Street or Te Puia Springs to request a copy. . A number of reports have been received and presentations given about the
Wainui coastal environment and these can also be found on Council’s website.
ENDS