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Homeowners who live on Marine Parade, Ōrewa are feeling angry, left out and ignored as Auckland Council’s sand replenishment and plans for other parts of Ōrewa Beach move forward.
There are eight homes, including four in the Oceanside complex, that can only be accessed via Marine Parade, which goes along the beachfront.
Cyclone Gabrielle increased erosion of the reserve between the beach and the road, threatening that access.
Oceanside resident, Julia Stroud, addressed the Hibiscus & Bays Local Board on February 28, expressing anger and frustration at what residents say is a lack of Council action to remedy their situation.
“We have got signs along the front of our property saying ‘Danger’,” she told members. “We fear that retreat [from the shoreline] is the Council policy.”
Residents are seeking sand replenishment as a buffer without delay, before any potential winter storms, as well as replacement for steps to the beach that are now unusable.
Longer term remedies to shore up the road will be more complex as this part of the beach is also affected by stormwater runoff from developments further up the catchment in North Ōrewa.
The Stroud’s neighbours, Jean and John Bungey are also concerned. John says Council has “a duty of care” because it owns the road and consented the development to the north. He says the reserve is used by the public, and also needs protection.
At the local board meeting, the option of privately funded structures on the beachfront was raised.
The Strouds are unsure whether the body corporate of their complex would be prepared to pay for its own sea defences.
Residents of the Ocean Point complex, which fronts onto where the seawall will be built between Kohu St and Marine View, are grappling with the same issues – the need for some immediate restoration and stabilisation work, and who will pay for it. Ken Elley of Ocean Point’s body corporate says they have a responsibility to their property owners to investigate options and costs. “But we are looking to Council for leadership,” he says.
Hibiscus & Bays Local Board deputy chair Julia Parfitt is clear that Council cannot build seawalls simply to protect private property – there has to be a public asset involved. In the Marine Parade case, there is a public reserve and road in front of homes, with emergency access to properties a key concern. The local board asked the Community Facilities division of Council to look into vehicular access to properties on Marine Parade and report back.
At the same time, Parfitt says, residents elsewhere on the Coast are taking matters into their own hands.
She says the number of residents seeking resource consent to build or replace private seawalls is increasing, with two recently seeking consent on Whangaparāoa beaches.
Cr Wayne Walker was also approached by the Oceanside residents. He says changes need to be made because the catchment plan and modelling for Ōrewa is out of date.
“However, there is only so much money to play with and although some people may not like it, we may need to consider managed retreat and sand shifting. He says more sand could potentially be shifted because of the amount now piling up from runoff into Ōrewa Estuary.
“Construction is also exacerbating stormwater runoff, at Nukumea Stream, for example, Cr Walker says. “A whole of Ōrewa approach is needed.”
