Application for $80k seawall extension | Hawkes Bay News | Local News in Hawkes Bay

Haumoana resident John Bridgeman is spending tens of thousands of his own dollars to extend the seawall in front of his Clifton Road property.

Frustrated with council processes, he has applied for resource consent to construct his own $80,000 extension to a seawall he originally built in 2002.

The extension, if accepted, would be adjacent to the existing structure on the seaward side, extending its life by approximately 20 years and providing further protection to the property.

The property had been in family hands for over 60 years and he was "trying to keep a bit of heritage".

Haumoana's strip of coastal properties are particularly susceptible to coastal erosion, and despite an attempt by the Hastings District Council (HDC) to address it, Bridgeman decided to take action himself.

"Things were going too slow and being repetitive and we had to do something or we'd fall in the bloody water," he said.

Mr Bridgeman's extension would consist of a new row of sheet piling, 2.5m further seaward from the existing one. This is when sheets are driven deep into the ground to create a type of retaining wall. The extension would be connected to the existing piling to remain one structure.

The publicly notified consent has closed for public submission, and Mr Bridgeman said it was now a matter of working through the rest of the process.

"We're doing all the hurdles they put in front of us one by one."

The HDC is looking at the possibility of building groynes, and a study is being undertaken to establish what effect they would have on nearby coastal areas, and how the project could be funded.

HDC communications and marketing manager Paul Evans said there were a number of statutory requirements it had to pass through at both regional and national levels, and the council had been working with stakeholders.

"For things like groynes to be built there has to be an incredibly compelling case," he said.

The HDC would receive the report on groynes by Christmas. Its findings would then be part of its draft long-term plan and open to public consultation in March next year.

Previous to the seawall application, Mr Bridgeman had proposed ideas for other solutions that could protect the whole community.

The Hawke's Bay Regional Council has received 12 submissions on Mr Bridgeman's application.