My Account
As sand piled high across the brand-new paving and gardens of the Ōrewa Boulevard extension, following the recent easterly storm, the issue was further highlighted by a ‘Free Sand’ sign, placed on the roadside by Michael Baxter.
Baxter has lived opposite Ōrewa Reserve since 2004 and says sand blowing across onto the road and into residents’ gutters, gardens, windows and roofs has only been a problem since Auckland Council removed the rocks from the beach by the reserve.
He agrees the rocks were an eyesore and hindered access, but says residents are sick of putting up with the sand and silt which blows across from the buffer placed along the reserve. The buffer sand is shifted from the estuary to the reserve edge by Council contractors.
Baxter, who has been pointing out the issue to Council and the local board for years, is in favour of a solid concrete wall along the beach side of the reserve.
He says the windblown sand during this month’s storm was the worst he’s seen.
“Many people think this is just something that occurs when you live by the beach,” Baxter says. “In fact, it’s because Council raises the sand level by 2m. The sand is picked up by the wind and blown across.”
He says the silt from the Estuary, mixed with sand, makes it finer and more easily picked up by wind.
“On Empire Road it got to 35cm deep, and people on mobility scooters or with prams walked on the road instead,” he says.
An email he received from Council five years ago acknowledged the problem and said a solution such as screen planting and/or removal of windblown sand from the reserve was needed but Baxter says nothing has been done.
Council’s area operations, parks and community facilities manager, Kris Bird says windblown sand is a natural process and is usually trapped by vegetation.
“The lack of suitable vegetation in Ōrewa Reserve combined with current conditions allows the sand to be blown further inland. To address this issue, a trial section of native dune grass planting is planned for the upcoming planting season,” Bird says.
Currently, Council has begun the process of finding long-term management solutions for Ōrewa Reserve, which Bird says will minimise the future impacts of wind-blown sand, amongst other objectives.
“We have carried out consultations with park users to establish which aspects/amenities are important to them, and we are now in the consultation phase with mana whenua. The next step will be to create a planning document which outlines future management options for the reserve, which will be worked through with the Hibiscus & Bays Local Board,” Bird says.
Next step in seawall process: Investigative work is expected to start next week prior to the building of the consented seawall at the northern end of Ōrewa Beach, between Kohu Street and Marine View. The wall is not due for completion until October, 2025. The first stage of investigation work, which will assist with detailed design, is due to begin in the week commencing January 31. Final construction dates are subject to Council’s annual budget decisions, however the current programme for the project is: • February 2023– ground investigations • February 2023 – March 2024, detailed design and tendering • April – October, 2024 – construction of Stage 1 • April – October 2025 – construction of Stage 2 Construction is planned over two consecutive winter seasons to avoid the busy summer period.
