What we expect to achieve with the adaptation plan

The Wainui Coastal Adaptation Plan aims to provide a forward-looking strategy for managing current and future coastal hazard risks at Wainui Beach.

The plan will guide development, protection structures and emergency management, while preserving key values like the natural environment, habitats, surf breaks, access for recreation and kai gathering.


What you've told us so far

The first phase of the project is to understand your values and priorities for the beach. We asked you last March about these and based on your feedback here is what matters most and least to you.

  • Most important

    • Maintaining natural beach function
    • Plan longevity
    • Surf breaks
    • Restoring habitat function
    • Protecting wildlife
  • Important

    • Balancing individual rights with collective rights
    • Protect beachfront properties
    • Holistic approach
    • Protecting wāhi tapu (sacred sites)
    • An affordable plan
    • Broad community acceptance of the plan
  • Least important

    • Working within current policy framework
    • Acknowledging European history

Kōrero mai - have your say

This is the second phase of engagement for Wainui Beach.

We are now asking for your feedback on a set of options to manage coastal hazards. These options are based on the values and priorities you shared with us earlier on what matters most to you about the beach.

Each option has different implications for access, safety, the environment, private property and how responsibilities are shared. We want to know which options you think best reflect your community's priorities.

Your input is important. This is your opportunity to help shape the direction of the plan before we begin developing it. Your feedback will guide the next steps in deciding which options to explore further and how the adaptation plan is developed.

Feedback closes Monday 28 July 2025.

Options to protect Wainui Beach

We're seeking feedback, by your responses to the questions for the 3 option sets: short-term, medium-term and long-term approaches.

Short-term. 2 options

Business as usual

This means maintaining the current levels of service. Existing structures are managed for health and safety but are not maintained for ongoing protection. Current levels of emergency management, dune care and environmental monitoring will continue.

Investment is still required to manage existing structures especially as many of them are degraded. This will also involve repairs of access ways and stairs when failure occurs.

Pros

Cons

  • No change to current management and funding
  • Health and safety issues difficult to manage and address
  • Inconsistent responses to both public and private protection works
  • Uncertainty for emergency works, development and consenting
  • Current and future risks are not managed at some locations
Are you satisfied with the current management of beach access and health and safety issues?
Do you think having ad hoc or property by property risk management approach is acceptable?
Are natural habitats and beach function being catered for?
Is continued ad-hoc responses to emergency situations acceptable?

Business as usual - plus

Continue with existing levels of service but provide more planning/policy direction and dune care:

  • Update planning regulations through the Tairāwhiti Resource Management Plan review to avoid increasing risk by restricting further development in hazard areas.
  • Develop a policy for emergency management, including no unplanned protection works.
  • Guidance for planting and pest control on private property
  • Increased budget for dune care and management
  • Develop policy for managing access or stairs – progressive upgrade of stairs to meet building standards and more resilient design.

Pros

Cons

  • Relatively low-cost option
  • Avoids compounding risk in future
  • Greater consistency in management across the beach
  • Health and safety issues remain for existing structures
  • No significant risk reduction
Do you think this option addresses health and safety issues effectively?
Will this approach provide enough certainty for property owners?
Does this option adequately increase habitat function across the beach?

Medium-term. 1 option

Dune Restoration with sand push-ups

Sand push-ups involve moving sand mechanically from the lower beach to the upper beach. Push-ups are supported by dune planting to try and restore sand dunes. Relic structures would remain, with aim to keep them buried. Council would require a global consent for sand push ups.

Pros

Cons

  • Enhances natural defences
  • Ecological and natural character benefits
  • Relatively simple and low cost initially, as long consent granted
  • Reliant on continual maintenance for success
  • Not applicable across the whole beach due to narrow beach and limited sand availability
  • Short to medium term only
  • Potential failure and property risk during prolonged erosion events
  • Impacts on surf breaks uncertain
  • Consenting issues previous consent application withdrawn
  • Potential health and safety issues remain
Is continual maintenance with heavy vehicles along Wainui Beach acceptable?
Do you think this option addresses health and safety issues effectively?
Are potential impacts on surf breaks acceptable?
Do you think the natural denfences are applicable across the whole beach?
Does this provides adequate peace of mind for property owners?

Long-term. 3 options

Dune restoration with structures

Maintain or rebuild structures within existing footprints. Restore embankments with native planting. Look to develop design guidance and a global resource consent for property owners to pursue protection works on private property.

Pros

Cons

  • Maintains existing beach setting and function
  • Improves habitat function
  • Enhances existing levels of protection
  • Addresses health and safety issues
  • Lower cost to Council/ratepayers – protection led by property owners
  • Cost overallmedium to high
  • Unnatural elements included in coastal area
  • Requires continuity across respective sections of the beach
  • May not be viable over longer term (60+ yrs)
  • Potential impacts on beach processes and amenity
Will this option detract from how you use the beach currently?
Does this option provide opportunity for habitat enhancement?
Does this option place too much emphasis on private property benefits?
Is a cost share arrangement, between property owners and ratepayers, fair?
Is the option too reliant on neighbours working together?

Traditional seawalls

Construct engineered seawalls to modern standards. Potential to include bank treatment or planting.

Pros

Cons

  • Provides protection for properties
  • Long term resilience- but not permanent without future work
  • Loss of beach amenity, especially when sand levels are low
  • Some loss of ecological function
  • Cost - high
  • Consenting difficultprevious application declined
  • Requires continuity across respective sections of the beach
  • Potential impacts on surf breaks
Will this option detract from how you use the beach currently?
Does this option provide opportunity for habitat enhancement?
Are potential impacts on surf breaks acceptable?
Does this option place too much emphasis on private property benefits?
Is a cost share arrangement, between property owners and ratepayers, fair?
Is the option too reliant on neighbours working together?

Managed retreat

Removal of property and infrastructure from hazard zone. Establishment of natural buffers and reserves.

Pros

Cons

  • Maximum reduction in risk profile
  • Restoration of beach and habitat function
  • Increased beach amenity opportunities
  • Beach processes retained including formation of dunes
  • Cost - high
  • Unclear legal framework
  • Loss of private property rights
  • Change in the way the beach is used
Is this required for the beach currently?
Should property owners be compensated for property loss?
Who should pay for compensation?