The Human Rights Commission calls for urgent change in the police, Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau’s bid to be healthy after a turbulent year and why our tallest landmark has made it into new scientific research in the latest NZ Herald headlines.
Video / NZ Herald / AP
The controversial project - including four separated breakwaters, the rebuilding of Horotutu Beach and possible seafloor dredging - was first proposed in the 2000s with a $20 million price tag.
After iwi took the project to the Environment Court, a modified proposal was granted consent in 2010 before it was mothballed due to the Global Financial Crisis.
The proposal divided the town, with backers saying it was needed to help protect Paihia from storms and opponents saying the breakwaters would be an eyesore, could trigger erosion and undo pest control work on nearby Motumaire Island.
“As we experience more volatile weather and the effects of tidal surges, the long-term resilience of Paihia and the local road is an area of vulnerability,” he told the Northern Advocate.
“It’s an example where the resilience can be improved and we’re going to have to adapt to the fact that volatile weather is impacting the Bay of Islands.”
Storm waves caused $1m of foreshore damage in Paihia in the 20 years to 2021. The main road was also inundated during Cyclone Gabrielle, when wave heights of 11m were recorded.
While the project was unpopular, Jones said it was imperative.
An artist’s impression of the 2020 Paihia breakwater and foreshore redevelopment plan shows breakwaters and a beach redevelopment. Image / Far North Holdings
“What do the people of Paihia want? Do they want to paddle a waka from Waitangi to get around?”
The project area was already highly developed, he said: “It’s not some pristine area, it’s the Bay of Islands for God’s sake.”
Brad Windust, a vocal opponent to the 2020 proposal, was disappointed to hear it could be resurrected.
“We’ve been here, we said ‘no’ and the politicians need to listen to our community. They’ve never asked us what we want, they just bulldoze through,” he said.
“Environmentally, it’s too risky. It could erode Te Ti Beach, it will definitely stop the sand flow that reaches the beaches on Motumaire Island and create a rat runway.
Brad Windust opposed the Paihia breakwater project in 2020 and stands by his opposition. Members of his Bay Bush Action group have trapped hundreds of rats on Motumaire over more than a decade. Photo / Peter de Graaf
Windust said Paihia has been impacted by development and numerous poor planning decisions but that was no reason to continue the bad decisions in the area known internationally for its beauty.
“Paihia is loved by tens of thousands of visitors who come because it’s beautiful; they want to see the natural beauty.”
New Zealand’s Coastal Policy Statement favours relocating or removing coastal structures at risk of erosion, over protection from hard structures like seawalls or breakwaters, Windust pointed out.
Another opponent, long-term Paihia resident Jane Banfield, also said her heart sank when she heard the project could be revived, given the rifts it caused in the Paihia community.
“Our community was not asked about its wellbeing, it was told what would be good for it,” she said.
Modern climate change science and planning agree the best way forward for coastal infrastructure is to retreat, by shifting or sacrificing structures, she said.
“This needs to be a community-centred decision, one that best meets the needs of the whole, both now and into the future.”
Council knows nothing about project’s resurrection
Far North Deputy Mayor Kelly Stratford said neither her council nor its development arm, Far North Holdings, knew anything about the Paihia breakwater proposal seeing the light of day again.
For the project to go ahead, it would need hapū and community support, as well as full funding, Stratford explained.
“The last time the project came up, the costs blew out - it was more than the council could afford. It would have to be fully funded, rather than any ratepayer burden.”
The council was already looking at unprecedented rates hikes due to slips caused by Cyclone Gabrielle and funding for Three Waters, she said.
New fund to increase regional resilience
Jones said the criteria for the Regional Infrastructure Fund were still being worked out but increasing productivity and resilience were key.
He admitted the budget of $400m a year over the three-year term was not much, but he wanted to see it leverage other funding, including from local government and the private sector.
“I think the Provincial Growth Fund got a bad rap. This has a different focus and the money isn’t as rich because our financial circumstances are different.”
Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has had more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.
