Benefactor backs groynes | Hawkes Bay News | Local News in Hawkes Bay

A Hastings benefactor is backing plans to build a groyne field off the coast of Hastings which a lobby group says will solve the erosion issues faced by Haumoana, Te Awanga and Clifton.

Walking on Water (Wow) had prepared a business plan on how the groynes could be built, where they should go and how the work would be financed.

Spokesperson Keith Newman said he could not reveal the benefactor's name, only that a Hawke's Bay business was involved.

He said all details would come out in public when Wow submitted its plan to build the groynes to the Hastings district and Hawke's Bay regional councils' annual plans.

Mr Newman said Wow had received a letter from the benefactor's lawyer "saying a significant amount [of finance] would be available to contribute to the groyne fields".

Other companies and business people who work and live in the coastal communities had also signalled their support.

"It will cost the ratepayer a minimal amount and I believe there will be a huge sigh of relief when people see the level of detail in the proposal we are putting forward," Mr Newman said.

In 2006, Hawke's Bay Today reported the regional council estimated a groyne field would cost $18.9 million for the full stretch of the Haumoana, Te Awanga and Clifton coast or $13.5 million for the Haumoana coast only.

Wow had employed Moynihan Coastal Consultants to help draft a plan to build groyne fields and that work was also being looked over by the councils.

"We want to make sure what we are proposing is going to meet resource consent requirements," Mr Newman said. "There are all sorts of [legal] challenges. There's the New Zealand Coastal Policy, regional coastal policy, the Resource Management Act and the Building Act. We are trying to comply with all of those to the best of our ability."

Haumoana and Districts Ratepayers Association chairman, Rex Mildenhall, said he hoped the Wow proposal would be approved through the councils' annual plans.

He said if not, people may turn towards applying for individual resource consents to keep and improve their existing sea walls.

"But I would hope the Wow proposal would go through then the walls can come down and people's lives can go back to normal," Mr Mildenhall said. "This is a perfect opportunity for the councils to partner with the community. They may not get this opportunity again."

Mr Mildenhall said the erosion issue had been at the top of his group's monthly agenda.

"It's been going on for over 30 years now, various groups have tried to get something done but probably haven't had the resources Wow has to get this far," he said.