Present: Iain McLean, June Penhey, Kate Dreaver, Brian Sullivan, Jonathan Harker, Paul FitzGerald, Beccy Davis, Jenny Brash (GWRC), Rebecca Jackson (Wellington Regional Emergency Office). Community: Peter Roach. Apologies: Pauline Morse, Jonathan Harker, Dale Williams, Justine McDermott. …
Update: In January 2018 Porirua City Council built a small earth wall to stabilise the bank, which has stopped further erosion. This area is identified in PCC’s coastal management strategy as an area that needs protecting.
Background
Thirty Ocean Parade residents, including Iain MacLean from the Pukerua Bay Residents’ Association, came together on 2 December 2016 to discuss the rapid erosion of shorefront, civil emergency procedures post-earthquake (14 November 2016) and severe weather event (12-15 November) causing a landslide on Beach road – blocking access and damaging properties on Ocean Parade – of which three had to be evacuated over a twenty-four period.
We enhanced the Parade’s resilience through self-help community initiatives in regards to civil emergency procedures but the issue of rapid shorefront erosion was considered as urgent. We collectively concluded that we want to increase awareness of the problem and the residents selected a small Steering Group to undertake action. We want to see the Porirua City Council recognise the urgency of the shorefront erosion and act quickly to mitigate the effects of the inundation and subsequent erosion of the shorefront along Ocean Parade, Pukerua Bay – in close consultation with Pukerua Bay residents but with having vision for a long term solution. …