Ramping on the Beach - 15 August 2021
- Chris Loveday
What is the Problem?
Over time there has been a build-up of rocks and sand on the beach which has created a natural ramp up to the road. In times of large waves there is limited defence against the waves reaching the road and residents property. During the recent storm events in June 2021 and April 2020 the ramp has had a significant impact on the bay allowing the waves to more easily reach the road, infrastructure and private property. This has created significant damage across the bay.
What has been done so far?
Following the large waves in April 2020 a number of initiatives with the Ōwhiro Bay residents and the Wellington City Council have been established. The early alert system has been deployed and proven to be a useful addition to storm readiness and prevention.
Additionally, the City Council engaged with Dr Shaw Mead, environmental scientist of eCoast, to conduct a review of Ōwhiro Bay to determine options available to the Council and the Owhiro Bay community. The results of the work provided a number of potential solutions, from short to long term options. You can read the full report here.
One of the short term, no regrets, options was to perform a grading of the beach.
What is beach grading?
The grading of the beach will be a process of removing the sand closest to the sea walls, providing a line of defence against the waves. It is anticipated that removing the ramp the waves won't be quite as destructive to the roads and properties along the coast. The Ōwhiro Bay Residents Association (OBRA) and community members will be playing a key role in all decision making on any grading undertaken.
What is being done?
The Wellington City Council has committed to have the beach grading completed at Ōwhiro Bay, and have created a team to complete the work. This involves applying for a consent from the Greater Wellington Regional Council given the beach is in the Marine Reserve.
The process will involve creating a specialist team of technical experts, consultants and ecologists. There will be engagement with affected stakeholders throughout the process, including the Ōwhiro Bay residents.
A physical survey, construction methodology, and an ecological assessment will be developed as part of the consent process. The council is working closely with the community providing weekly updates on the progress of the project. The consent, when granted, will allow several gradings of the beach to allow an assessment of the impact the grading is having on the Bay over time.
When will the beach grading occur?
Once the consent has been granted the physical works have been planned for September 2021. OBRA is holding the Council to this timeframe and can provide further updates to the Ōwhiro Bay community as they become available.
So how will the grading be done?
The present idea is to basically regrade the beach from the marine reserve (MHWS – mean high water springs) up to the existing seawalls/ carpark/ footpaths. The surplus materials will be taken to a tip site and not pushed back into the marine reserve.
It hasn’t yet been determined at what level the ‘berm’ will be taken down to (from the footpath down to the beach). Excavation machines will have to be placed on the beach to remove the surplus sand/ gravel, but there will be a lot of conditions on their use, such as cleanliness prior to entering the beach, no refuelling on the beach, no entering the marine reserve, and not been left on the beach out-of-hours to name but a few. There may be other conditions to follow due to ecological affects.
Can the grading be done without consent?
It has been reported in the media that should another large wave event be predicted then the Council would go ahead with the grading immediately then retrospectively apply for the consent based on other laws and regulations at their disposal.
Got questions? Email [email protected]
Over time there has been a build-up of rocks and sand on the beach which has created a natural ramp up to the road. In times of large waves there is limited defence against the waves reaching the road and residents property. During the recent storm events in June 2021 and April 2020 the ramp has had a significant impact on the bay allowing the waves to more easily reach the road, infrastructure and private property. This has created significant damage across the bay.
What has been done so far?
Following the large waves in April 2020 a number of initiatives with the Ōwhiro Bay residents and the Wellington City Council have been established. The early alert system has been deployed and proven to be a useful addition to storm readiness and prevention.
Additionally, the City Council engaged with Dr Shaw Mead, environmental scientist of eCoast, to conduct a review of Ōwhiro Bay to determine options available to the Council and the Owhiro Bay community. The results of the work provided a number of potential solutions, from short to long term options. You can read the full report here.
One of the short term, no regrets, options was to perform a grading of the beach.
What is beach grading?
The grading of the beach will be a process of removing the sand closest to the sea walls, providing a line of defence against the waves. It is anticipated that removing the ramp the waves won't be quite as destructive to the roads and properties along the coast. The Ōwhiro Bay Residents Association (OBRA) and community members will be playing a key role in all decision making on any grading undertaken.
What is being done?
The Wellington City Council has committed to have the beach grading completed at Ōwhiro Bay, and have created a team to complete the work. This involves applying for a consent from the Greater Wellington Regional Council given the beach is in the Marine Reserve.
The process will involve creating a specialist team of technical experts, consultants and ecologists. There will be engagement with affected stakeholders throughout the process, including the Ōwhiro Bay residents.
A physical survey, construction methodology, and an ecological assessment will be developed as part of the consent process. The council is working closely with the community providing weekly updates on the progress of the project. The consent, when granted, will allow several gradings of the beach to allow an assessment of the impact the grading is having on the Bay over time.
When will the beach grading occur?
Once the consent has been granted the physical works have been planned for September 2021. OBRA is holding the Council to this timeframe and can provide further updates to the Ōwhiro Bay community as they become available.
So how will the grading be done?
The present idea is to basically regrade the beach from the marine reserve (MHWS – mean high water springs) up to the existing seawalls/ carpark/ footpaths. The surplus materials will be taken to a tip site and not pushed back into the marine reserve.
It hasn’t yet been determined at what level the ‘berm’ will be taken down to (from the footpath down to the beach). Excavation machines will have to be placed on the beach to remove the surplus sand/ gravel, but there will be a lot of conditions on their use, such as cleanliness prior to entering the beach, no refuelling on the beach, no entering the marine reserve, and not been left on the beach out-of-hours to name but a few. There may be other conditions to follow due to ecological affects.
Can the grading be done without consent?
It has been reported in the media that should another large wave event be predicted then the Council would go ahead with the grading immediately then retrospectively apply for the consent based on other laws and regulations at their disposal.
Got questions? Email [email protected]
