POHUTUKAWA COAST TIMES (July 25th 2014) 3
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Tauranga model suggested for Maraetai’ • FROM PAGE 1
Out at Kawakawa Bay resident of 11 years Neil O’Hara showed the PC Times the extent of foreshore erosion. Tree roots are exposed, the grass bank is crumbling away, stormwater pipes are exposed and a power pylon is perilously close to being undermined. “It’s a valuable bit of land [the foreshore between road and beach]. There have been funerals, weddings and you often can’t get a car on here. It’s a popular little area,” says Neil. “In 10 years time we will be very short of parking. Eventually the road will be under threat. “ However, Neil says that earlier efforts to halt erosion using small round rocks has worked well in the places on the foreshore where they have been placed – notably near the boat ramp and around Whitford Pt. He supports the planting of grasses and ground covers to stabilise the sand and foreshore, but in places where erosion has resulted in a raised lip more rocks are needed. “And it’s got to happen immediately. This is a busy place in the summer and there can be thousands of people out here.” Last weekend saw a community planting day at Kawakawa Bay where local residents , assisted by Auckland Council, planted some 1600 grasses and ground covers along the foreshore of First Bay in an attempt to stop foreshore erosion. Among those helping were Franklin’s representative on Auckland Council, Bill Cashmore. He is a supporter of the “soft” approach of planting buffer areas to protect the foreshore. “When waves hit the hard surface of a seawall, they scoop out sand and take it off the beach. We need a combination of hard surfaces and planting. There will be some hits and misses with planting and at times we may lose 80% of it, but we have to be persistent,” says Bill. In the case of Maraetai, Bill would like to see the experimental planting area at the eastern end of the beach extended along the rest of the beach. He says millions of dollars can be wasted if erosion prevention isn’t done properly. Long time foreshore campaigner Geoff Bignell, of Omana, fears it may be too late for a planting solution and that a substantial seawall may be the only answer along the Maraetai beachfront. “The council were told at the time that if they intervened by putting their [Maraetai foreshore] walkway where they’ve put it, it would cause problems because it exacerbates the run-off. It’s
local artist selected • FROM PAGE 1 been tramping. “In Autumn I love the bright autumn colours so I paint a lot of trees.” Helen used to paint in her bedroom but now has a studio set up in her garden overlooking bushclad slopes in Maraetai. She says it gives her a peaceful place to paint away from household chores and life as a busy mum. Helen also enjoys sharing her artistic talent through art classes she runs locally for adults at the Coastguard building in Maraetai on a Thursday morning. She also belongs to the Coast and Country Art Collective for local artists on the Pohutukawa Coast. Helen was looking forward to flying to Wellington with husband Alan for the gala opening of the NZ Art Show on Wednesday. The event showcases a wide variety of art in all mediums from emerging and established artists. The NZ Art Show, at the TSB Bank arena at Queens Wharf on the Wellington waterfront runs until this Sunday. A prize of $5000 will be awarded to an outstanding artwork chosen by the public.
only a matter of time before that timber work by the wharf disappears. I’ve nothing against the boardwalk, or the cycle/walkway, it’s where they’ve put it that is the issue,” says Geoff. When Geoff was chairman of the Maraetai Ratepayers & Residents Association some years ago, the association proposed forming walkways to the beach with plantings of natives shrubs, and rocks to form a barrier that would withstand storm conditions., “ But council wouldn’t listen. Instead, they’ve used concrete and grass. Grass isn’t a great absorber – water just runs off.” Geoff believes it is now too late to implement the proposal his association advocated at the time. “I think they are now left with only one real option and that’s to put in a solid seawall similar to Waiomanu Bay. “ Another Omana resident, Brigid Glass, has been a long time advocate on behalf of the Pohutukawa Coast Community Association for the restoration of sand dunes as a way of, not just preventing erosion, but reclaiming foreshore through natural beach building. In a presentation to the Franklin Local Board Brigid said patterns of erosion could easily, and relatively cheaply, be turned into a patREAD tern of accretion. She referred to a dune planting project along the ONLINE Tauranga coastline that saw the official coastline move 11 metres www.pctimes.co.nz seaward with extended beach(updated areasevery beyond Thursday) that. She said planting native grasses in the sand immediately in front Also visit our facebook page of the Maraetai beachfront seawall would help retain the sand. The - Pohutukawa Coast Times natives would be tolerant of sea water inundation and eventually form a gentle foredune slope above the tide, reduce wind velocity at sand level, and trap and bind sand so the dune eventually moved forward. POHUTUKAWA COAST TIMES Sand replenishment could be required, particularly at Omana READ ONLINE Beach which was also suffering from severe erosion. www.pctimes.co.nz (updated Thursday) Brigid told the PC Times that theeveryplanting solution was difficult visit our facebook page to “sell” to residents becauseAlso it was somewhat counter intuitive. - Pohutukawa Coast Times But she believes it would work at Maraetai and Omana, although the results might not be quite as spectacular as at Tauranga which has big ocean POHUTUKAWA beaches. COAST TIMES It is also a cost-effective solution at $10 to $500 per lineal metre dependREAD ONLINE ing on the management www.pctimes.co.nz technique every Thursday) used, compared with $1500(updated to $5000 per lineal metre for seawalls Also or visit revetour facebook page - Pohutukawa Coast Times ments.
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