Amberley Beach’s potential lifeline against rising seas
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
A proposal to build a coastal bund to protect Amberley Beach in Canterbury from rising sea levels has received support from the Hurunui District Council.
Councillors agreed in principle to support a residents’ proposal to debt fund some of the cost of building a new protection bund, at a council meeting on Tuesday.
A bund is a type of embankment which protects against the sea.
The proposal followed the council’s adoption of the Amberley Beach Coastal Adaptation Plan in June last year to protect the 109 properties in the beach settlement from sea level rise and coastal erosion.
‘‘The adaptation plan looks at a bund as the primary option in the short to medium term,’’ chief executive Hamish Dobbie said.
‘‘By agreeing in principle to approving debt funding, it will give the community some certainty as they move forward.’’
He said the residents approached the council with a proposal to increase their targeted rate from $252 to $304 a year.
Initial estimates suggested a new bund would cost between $450,000 and $650,000.
The new bund was expected to have a life of 30 years and would be more durable than the existing gravel bund, which was built in 1993.
‘‘The plan is to build a bund with a wearable base, which can be rebuilt from the back,’’ Dobbie said.
A fund has been established from the existing targeted rate, which would leave a shortfall of between $120,000 to $320,000.
Dobbie said the proposed increase to the targeted rate was expected to pay off the loan over 10 years.
He said the council would seek Government funding to offset the loan.
‘‘There are several national funds we could apply for, but the beach community is not an incorporated society, so the council would need to apply on its behalf.’’
South ward councillors Pauline White and Vanessa McPherson praised the Amberley Beach residents for being ‘‘proactive’’ in coming up with solutions.
‘‘This is a really proactive community which has taken it upon themselves to protect themselves,’’ White said.
‘‘This community has been proactive in seeking out the best engineering design and materials to make this project work.’’
The targeted rate for the Amberley Beach bund was set by the council each year, based on a recommendation from the residents.
The coastal adaptation plan has a clause where residents would need to consider another option, such as ‘‘proactive relocation’’, if the targeted rate for the bund exceeded $750 per household per year.
A report will be presented to the council for approval, once the final cost of the new bund has been established.
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
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A reminder this hunting season
As thousands of hunters are making their plans for autumn – the Roar – recreational firearms groups are urging hunters to always be 100% sure of their targets.
Te Tari Pureke - Firearms Safety Authority NZ, which chairs the Recreational Firearms Users Group, has begun a public information campaign reminding hunters everywhere of Rule #4 of the Firearms Safety Code: to identify their target beyond all doubt.
Director Communities and Corporate, Mike McIlraith, says there is an estimated 50,000-60,000 New Zealanders involved in big game animal hunting each year, and the Roar is the key event for many hunters each year.
“The Roar is a fantastic time of year for hunters to get out into the hills after a trophy animal but hunting safely and making sure everyone gets home in one piece, still must be the most important goal of every trip,” says Mike McIlraith.
“The consequences of not fully identifying your target beyond all doubt can be catastrophic. Our message to hunters is a really simple one: If you are not sure, then don’t shoot.”
Mike McIlraith says while hunting fatalities are thankfully rare, research has shown that misidentification of the target is the largest firearms related risk to New Zealand deer hunters, and 80% of the time this involves members of the same hunting group.
The Authority says hunters should not feel pressured to take a shot: “Instead, hunters should take the time to analyse their target, wait and see if it is a hind or stag, how old is the animal, how many points does its antlers have? Identifying your target means never firing at sound, shape, colour or movement alone.”
Mike McIlraith says good hunters will slow down, and run through some simple mental checks:
- Can I see the whole animal, or could this be another hunter?
- Where are my hunting companions – could this be them or someone else?
- How much of the animal can you see, if it is a hind or stag, how old is the animal, how - many points does its antlers have?
“Taking a little extra time to identify your target and check the firing zone is the key to safer hunting. No meat or no trophy is better than no mate,” he says.
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