Summarised by Centrist
Coastal erosion threatens Port Waikato homes and residences. Some say they’re ‘climate change refugees’, but others aren’t so sure.
Malcolm Beattie, president of Sunset Beach Surf Lifesaving Club, attributes the erosion to man-made interventions.
“They should’ve let Mother Nature just be, as it was sand … we would never have these problems,” he told the media.
Beattie believes the tar-sealing of the carpark and the construction of a fabricated wall disrupted natural sand movement, exacerbating erosion.
He also points out storm water drainage issues, saying, “The wall formed a cliff face and for the energy just banging against it, it consequently just undermines it.”
Beattie criticises the council’s approach, arguing that managed retreat policies abandon the community, and urges investment in stormwater solutions to prevent further erosion.
Waikato District Council’s Deputy Mayor Carolyn Eyre acknowledges the impact of potential relocations but explains that previous plans for hard defence mechanisms, like a sea wall, were ruled out due to cost and doubts about their long-term effectiveness.
“We recognise it’s a dynamic coastline, and unfortunately, erosion is not going to be halted,” she says.
“We need some framework and essentially some funding to actually support these communities,” Eyre concludes.
