Canterbury beach community ‘thrilled’ with new flood protection plans

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from The Press

By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter

A North Canterbury beach community is set to get an early Christmas present to help in the fight against rising sea levels.

The Hurunui District Council has confirmed its plans to build a $750,000 coastal bund to protect the Amberley Beach village from the sea, with work to begin this month.

Amberley Beach Residents’ and Ratepayers’ Community Association spokesperson Paula Le Compte said the announcement is good news for residents.

‘‘I know the entire beach community will be thrilled that it is going ahead.’’

A bund is a type of embankment which protects against the sea.

Le Compte said the area was important for fishing and recreation, while the village of 109 properties included a mix of home owners, rentals and holiday homes.

Chief executive Hamish Dobbie said he expected the new bund to be completed by Christmas.

The existing bund is owned by the community and was built in 1993, with the council acting as ‘‘a collector of funds’’.

The council was granted a consent by Environment Canterbury in March last year to build a new bund.

An Amberley Beach Coastal Adaptation Plan was adopted by the council in July last year, following extensive engagement with the community over three years.

The plan identified a number of options for the community to respond to coastal erosion, flooding and sea level rise.

These included a new, relocatable bund, while in the longer term other coastal protection measures or managed retreat will be considered.

The new bund was designed by the residents’ association and approved in August, after being peer reviewed.

It is expected to have a lifespan of 30 years.

The council voted in April to approve the use of debt funding to pay for the new $750,000 bund, with Amberley Beach residents paying for it through a combination of funds already saved and a targeted rate.

Residents approached the council earlier this year with a proposal to increase their targeted rate from $252 to $304 a year, which was included in the Long Term Plan.

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 exceeds $750 per household per year.

■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.