Re: East Coast shoreline carved away, February 9 story.
I have to ask, who is paying for professor Murray Ford and his team to study the erosion at the north end of Mahanga Beach? I hope it’s not Hawke’s Bay Region Council.
Also a question for RNZ’s reporter — is this the first time you have reported on this issue that has been going on for over 10 years?
In my opinion, Murray should look up the Wairoa Star archives and he should also have come and seen me.
There have always been big problems here.
My opinion, again, the main problems are a very small, aggressive protest group that starts blocking the outlet — then the ocean takes over — and Hawke’s Bay Regional Council inaction.
Over the years, a number of HBRC employees — ie, engineers and admin staff — have travelled here, stood around with hands in their pockets, then gone back and written reports.
The cost to us ratepayers went down the drain. Not much work was ever done.
I, along with other Mahanga land owners and Mahanga Marae representatives, have met quite a few times with HBRC staff but it has been a waste of our time. We meet with people then next time it’s two or three other staff who travel all the way from Hawke’s Bay (sometimes in two vehicles).
If you go into the Wairoa Star and look up the archives, you will see back quite a few years that Wairoa District Council and I have always said what needs to be done.
This has always been an easy fix.
Murray should come and visit. I have photos of that exact area in the 1960s.
Merv Goodley
