What do you value about Auckland’s coasts – what do they mean to you?
Shoreline Adaptation Plans are living plans that focus on how we manage Auckland Council-owned coastal land and assets. This includes reserves, public facilities, transport and water infrastructure, as well as any associated coastal defence structures like seawalls.
We’re asking you to have your say and let us know what you think as different plans come up for feedback over the course of the year.
“Across Tāmaki Makaurau, residents are grappling with climate change and the impact this is having on their homes, neighbourhoods, and community assets. We can’t ignore this, and together we need to make some smart long-term decisions on where we allocate our resources for our coast and our coastal communities,” says Councillor Richard Hills, Chair of the Planning, Environment and Parks Committee.“Our Shoreline Adaptation Plans aim to provide a roadmap for evolving coastal management strategies over the next 100 years and it’s essential that we develop these plans alongside iwi and the community.”
What’s in a shoreline adaption plan?
Each plan considers the potential impacts of coastal hazards (like erosion, inundation and rainfall flooding) and climate-change impacts (including sea level rise).
We need plans that can guide both short-term, operational responses such as maintenance and post-storm responses, and longer-term strategic planning to inform future management options and associated funding.
Shoreline Adaptation Plans are the council’s first round of ‘adaptive planning’ – an approach that addresses uncertainty and risk says Paul Klinac, Auckland Council General Manager Engineering, Assets and Technical Advisory.
“We know our coastal environment is both dynamic and highly valued – these plans will take these important factors into consideration,” says Mr Klinac.“The intention is that each plan reflects the intrinsic value of the coast to mana whenua as well as the local community and presents a balanced approach to its future management in response to coastal hazards and climate change. This includes opportunities to safeguard our coastal environments for future generations.”
Have Your Say
With your help, we can plan and protect our much-loved coastline by understanding why Auckland’s shoreline areas are important to you. We want to know:
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What do you do and enjoy at the coast, where do you visit and why?
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Have you experienced the impact of coastal hazards, and how has this changed the way you use the coast.
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What are your concerns for our future changing coast and how it is managed?
Tell us what you think over the course of 2024. Keep an eye on our social media, your local board Facebook page and our e-newsletter to know what plan is coming up.
You can also help by joining the conversation and telling us what you value about your local coastline today by visiting our regional interactive map – you can also drop pins to leave comments on coastal areas not yet open.
For some areas, we’re also asking for your feedback on our draft adaptation strategies – head to akhaveyoursay.nz to see what plans are currently open for feedback.
Putting the plans into action
As many Aucklanders know well, the severe weather events in early 2023 resulted in significant damage across the region. We saw severe damage to both public and private land.
These events have highlighted the value of having adaptive plans to guide and coordinate future management of our coastal areas.
This year we will complete the series of 20 plans across Auckland. You can find out when we will be in your neighbourhood by visiting our website Shoreline Adaptation Plan Programme.
So far, we’ve completed the below plans:
For more information on Shoreline Adaptation Plans, check out council’s website or you can get in touch with the team at shorelineadaptationplans@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz.
