A new partnership structure to kick start the roll-out of action from the Shoreline Management project has been approved by our Council this week.

The three-year shoreline project identified our Coromandel communities’ preferred pathways of action to improve resilience to the effects of climate change. Individual pathways were prepared for 138 sections of our coastline.

Our Council is now moving to prioritise and implement projects from those pathways.

“It’s vital that we keep our eye on Coromandel’s long-term resilience to erosion and sea level rise, even as we deal with the enormous challenges of short-term storm events,” says our Mayor Len Salt. “The type of impacts we’re seeing from Cyclone Gabrielle are precisely why this project was undertaken, and why it was so comprehensive.”

The new shoreline partnership structure confirmed by Council will continue our existing arrangement with Pare Hauraki, which is a productive and positive relationship, and also provides an opportunity to include Waikato Regional Council.

“The centuries-old relationship our peoples have with the whenua and moana and accumulated experiences with the realms of Tāwhirimātea and Tangaroa underscore the vital importance of Mana Whenua and Council leading this work for the care and protection of the people and taiao,“ says Pare Hauraki Collective Chair, Paul Majurey.

The group is tasked with prioritising actions from the shoreline management pathways, and scoping projects to decide which will be implemented first.

In some cases recent storm events will have already triggered thresholds for action. The prioritisation process will account for any increased urgency. Among the initial priorities is more detailed design work and pricing on protection options for Thames. The trigger for action in Thames had already been reached before these recent events.

“We know that our coastline, particularly in places like Thames, is extremely vulnerable to erosion and storm-surge from sea level rise, even though it didn’t take a direct hit in the cyclone this time around,” says project lead and Asset Planning Manager, Amon Martin.

“We’ll be looking at things like longer-term options like managed retreat for some of the district’s communities, building a new sea wall for some areas, and how we can reduce the number of properties that are exposed to hazards.”

He says Ngāti Maru will have a key role in the project work for Thames, one part of its extensive maritime rohe.

Key projects to protect and improve resilience for our communities on the east coast will also be assessed by this group.

The scoping and prioritisation phase is expected to be completed this calendar year, and the results will inform Council's 2024-2034 Long Term Plan.

Find out more here

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