Bay erosion study looks into gravel | Hawkes Bay News | Local News in Hawkes Bay

 A timely study is under way to mark the effects of thousands of tonnes of gravel being extracted from Hawke's Bay rivers, as the spotlight comes on coastal erosion once more.

In recent weeks, the region has been on tsunami alert and this week beach-front properties were evacuated because of high seas rolling into shore.

Some environmental critics believe gravel extraction is leaving less material for rivers to carry to coastal areas between Haumoana and Clifton, to replace material eroded by waves.

The regional council's manager of engineering, Gary Clode, said it was an issue brought up at a hui at Kohupatiki Marae near Clive on Saturday.

The council had met with iwi to discuss environmental issues Maori had with rivers and gravel management.

"Part of the scooping study is to look at the effects of gravel extraction on the region's coastline and whether there is a link between extraction and coastal erosion," Mr Clode says.

Larger floods across the region over the past 15 years, capable of shifting larger volumes of gravel off the beaches, could also be a factor in coastal erosion.

"As a community we live on flood plains that are protected by a system designed to take flood waters up to a certain size directly out to sea," Mr Clode says.

He says gravel in some parts of rivers must be excavated so water can flow out in times of flood.

"It is simply not an option to have no extraction unless the stopbank system is built higher," Mr Clode says.

At Kohupatiki, people told Mr Clode they were worried about the loss of traditional fishing areas and destruction of possible waahi tapu sites.

People also told the council they wanted it to recognise the atua spiritual values of the river when managing waterways, help in cleaning the rivers and leaving sections in a natural state for fishing and recreation.

Mr Clode said there was a push for the council to check the ecology of the river water prior to any spraying work. Feedback on the study will be received up until April 6 and a public report will be presented about July.