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Phase two of controversial erosion control work at Matapouri Beach has started, despite opposition from residents.
Sand is being extracted from the estuary and used to form dunes at the top of the beach where native grasses will be planted in spring. The process is expected to take up to three months.
Whangarei District Council technical officer Stuart Jackson said that since the beach was now lower than expected, extra sand would be needed to level it.
He said about 18,500cu m of sand, totalling about 3.2ha, would be removed from two places in the estuary. The resource consent for the work also allows for the removal of mangroves from 0.66ha in the estuary's Te Wairoa Stream area to improve estuary flow.
A Matapouri resident of 30 years, Russell Fransham, said the bridge had always been the problem.
"The bridge is narrow and it was pushed to one side during construction. Unless they enlarge its span, the problem won't go away," said Mr Fransham, a qualified marine zoologist.
He said it was pointless moving the sand around when the bridge, which pushed water towards the sandspit, was not fixed.
Matapouri nursery owner Guy Bowden said erosion from the work would add to the problem.
"The mangroves trap the silt and once they are removed, the silt is let loose and the last rain has dumped so much silt in the estuary," he said.
Businessman John Sands said filling up the beach with sand was a waste of time and money because it would be washed back to the estuary during a storm.
The council said the new dunes were expected to help prevent further erosion of the beach and spit and help to protect the settlement from flooding. Once formed, they should be self-building as long as the plants are protected from damage by people or animals.
- Northern Advocate
