Sunset Beach Port Waikato closed ‘until further notice’ due to coastal erosion

Waikato District Council closed the Sunset Beach carpark today because of coastal erosion. Photo / Mike Scott

The sun has set on Sunset Beach in Port Waikato, with the Waikato District Council closing the beach carpark until further notice.

The council announced the closure on social media on Tuesday after several metres of coastline was lost to erosion overnight.

“Ongoing erosion has caused significant damage to the bank supporting the car park in front of the Sunset Beach Surf Club, with approximately 2m lost overnight,” the council said in a statement to the Waikato Herald.

“Further cracking and reduced land stability is making the area unsafe for vehicles and people.

“We’re working closely with the local community to respond, with a quickly moveable barrier to keep people safe on the carpark.”

The Sunset Beach Surf Club said the carpark closure was an “inconvenience” for the club in the short term, since it still had limited access to the beach for winter rescues.

President of the Sunset Beach Surf Lifesaving Club Malcolm Beattie said the club was not relocating at this stage.

“But in the longer term, it’s the uncertainty – where to from here?

“We have King Tides [very high tides] coming up in August and September. If we don’t have a temporary fix by then, we are in serious trouble. We could lose the whole carpark.”

Coastal erosion has closed the Sunset Beach carpark, the accessway to the local community hub. Photo / Mike Scott

Beattie said the carpark was central to the community since it was the accessway to the Community Hub which was used by a lot of locals every day.

“It would be a tragedy if that was to close.”

To combat further erosion and reduce runoff from rain, the council said 500 sandbags would be delivered for the carpark as a temporary measure.

“Further assessment is being made to determine the long-term future of the car park as it’s reduced area may make it unsafe for parking,” the council spokesperson said.

“It is unknown how long the erosion will continue, or how far it will extend, and when... We will revisit earlier investigations into alternative locations for car parking.

“There may be a relatively immediate need for more short-term action, such as relocation of potentially affected properties and facilities.

“We are establishing points where the level erosion will mean we have to undertake actions such as building removal or relocation. We will be working with the Sunset Beach Surf Life Saving Charitable Trust on these plans.”

Beattie said the club was meeting with the council later today or tomorrow to talk about temporary and long-term solutions.

Warning signs at Port Waikato's Sunset Beach. Photo / Malisha Kumar

He said while they were still waiting to hear what potential long-term options could be, the club had already identified a preferred interim option.

“It’s a nature-based protection solution... [that] slows down the energy from the sea and protects the toe of the dune much better,” Beattie said.

This nature-based solution would involve untreated wooden poles being put in the ground that, together with other organic material, forms a natural backing to the dune.

Beattie said the cost of this would be “a couple hundred thousand” dollars. He said if the council permitted this approach, work could get underway straight away and completed within a couple of weeks.

Meanwhile, the weather forecast for at least the next couple of days indicates strong waves with accompanying high tides.

“People can still access the beach but should avoid the area below the car park due to the ongoing risk of debris and further slips. Extreme caution is advised across length of Sunset Beach while the strong tides continue, which are expected intermittently through the winter.”

Erosion has been an ongoing issue for Port Waikato, with more and more houses becoming uninhabitable.