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Coastal Hazard Under Scrutiny

Coastal Hazard Under Scrutiny

Work has begun on a strategy to assess coastal hazards and risk management options along the Hawke’s Bay coast between Tangoio and Clifton through to the year 2120.

The strategy will consider the shift in risks associated with climate change, sea level rise, coastal erosion, storm surge inundation and tsunami.

Local communities between Tangoio and Clifton coast, as well as organisations with assets and interests in the zone, will be involved in developing the strategy by identifying the risks and working together towards agreed solutions.

“Sea level rise and increased storminess is predicted as a result of climate change and we will progressively develop strategies for all of the Hawke’s Bay coastline, but at present this zone is the most vulnerable given the concentration of coastal settlement and development,” says HBRC Cr Peter Beaven who chairs the Coastal Hazards Committee.

Developing the strategy for Tangoio to Clifton over the next twelve months is a committee of representatives from Hawke’s Bay Regional Council, Hastings District Council, Napier City Council and groups representing mana whenua and tangata whenua. A consultant from Environmental Management Services Ltd, Simon Bendall, has been contracted to oversee the process and drive the milestones that have been set.
“To develop the strategy we will be talking to coastal groups, residents, and organisations with infrastructure or interests along the coast from Tangoio to Clifton. This will help us to identify what is at risk from hazards, determine which risks are acceptable to the community, and what responses we should make collectively to manage unacceptable risks,” says Cr Beaven.

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“We will make use of the latest climate change predictions and local data on our changing coastlines so that the discussion can be well-informed.”

The recent report from the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment report on sea level rise is one significant piece of information that will be made use of in developing the strategy.

“The PCE report advises New Zealanders to plan for an inevitable sea level rise of 30 cm by 2050. Increased storminess and wave run up could have significant impacts around the coast,” says Cr Beaven.

The coast by Clifton is eroding with access to the campground having been rerouted twice in the past year. Haumoana and Te Awanga are also affected by tide and current action, while the coast along Clive is protected against inundation by sea exclusion stopbanks.

“The south end of this part of the coast dropped 60 cm or so in the 1931 earthquake while other areas, like Ahuriri Estuary, came up. Communities between Tangoio and Clifton will have different issues and will see risks and solutions differently, and the strategy will take this into consideration,” says Cr Beaven.

The strategy will set out a framework for making risk-based decisions to respond to predicted hazards as far ahead as 2120.

“While the science is improving all the time, we know for certain that climate change is happening and that this will have an impact on our coastal communities and infrastructure. We can’t bury our head in the sand and wait for sea level rise to happen – we need to take steps now so that our communities are ready and resilient.”

ends

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