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What side of the fence are you on? The size of the proposed seawall options on Orewa Beach were set out at a public open day and views were mixed. The extent of the wall beyond the current reserve was made apparent using stringlines.
Orewa residents’ views are divided on whether they want a seawall design that provides more grassed reserve area or more dry, sandy beach – which are the two options being proposed by Auckland Council.Either way Council is proposing a 2.5m walkway to allow for cycling and walking, on top of a new seawall on the northern part of the beach, between Kohu Street and Marine View. The proposed wall combines engineered rip-rap rocks with a grouted rock wall on either side of access points to the beach. Either way, regular sand transfer by diggers from the southern end of the beach will be part of the mix to provide a sacrificial buffer against erosion.
Where the two plans diverge, is how much reserve area should be retained.
One option is to maximise the width of the reserve including planted areas, making a visual break between the rock wall and the beach – the wall would therefore extend further out and onto the beach, taking up more dry sand area.
The other option is to keep the reserve width to a minimum and reduce the planted areas, thereby reducing the extent of seawall that occupies the beach.
The physical dimensions of the two proposals and their impacts on the reserve and beach were demonstrated in three locations with stringlines at a Beach Open Day held on Sunday, March 20.
Council staff involved in the project, as well as Hibiscus & Bays Local Board members Janet Fitzgerald and Julia Parfitt, were on hand to explain the proposals and answer questions.
Residents spoken to by Hibiscus Matters at the Open Day were in both camps. Most who attended were living in the Kohu Street to Marine View area, or in other parts of Orewa.
Some people thought losing the dry sand, of which there is not much in any case on this part of the beach, was worth it for an attractive edge to the reserve.
Others said that a planted edge to the reserve was not necessary because the reserve is only for walking and cycling – asking ‘why add space on top when it’s flat anyway?’
Around 50 people attended the open day and many commented that having the stringline to demonstrate the size of the proposal was helpful.
The informal consultation, which began towards the end of last year, closed on March 31. The next step is for Council to apply for resource consent, seeking full public notification – this means the public will be able to make formal submissions. The date for lodging consent is expected to be around June.
The local board is seeking funding for the project from the governing body and chair Julia Parfitt remains confident that should the proposal gain resource consent, the money will be forthcoming. The design plans, engineering assessments and consent fees for the proposed 640m wall have cost ratepayers $265,000. The work in total is expected to cost around $5 million.
