Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland’s 3,200km of coastline has high environmental, social and cultural values as well as coastal management challenges from coastal erosion, flooding and ongoing sea-level rise.
Over the last four years, Auckland Council has been planning for the future of the region’s coast by developing Shoreline Adaptation Plans, which look at how council-owned assets and land can be managed in response to coastal hazards and a changing climate over the next 100 years.
The Shoreline Adaptation Plans also respond to Auckland Council’s legislative requirements with regard to climate change.
Through the Policy and Planning Committee, Auckland Council now has a confirmed 18 of total of 20 shoreline adaptation plans, having recently confirmed another 11 plans.
Councillor Richard Hills, Chair of the Policy and Planning Committee, says that this is a huge step forward in how we plan for the future.
“Tāmaki Makaurau is significantly exposed to the challenges of climate change and our coastline, when it’s impacted, can affect how we work, live and relax. Our coast is changing and in response, we have needed to take another look at the way we help to manage these changes,” says Cr Hills.
“Auckland Council owns and manages a range of public coastal assets including boat ramps, jetties, wharves and seawalls. It’s important that we look at the best way for coastal management to occur, for our existing infrastructure as well good planning for any new structures and facilities.”
“I want to acknowledge our mana whenua partners, our community and our local boards for their constructive work and feedback on these plans, plans which can feel quite overwhelming as we think towards the future and thank you to our talented staff for their clear evidence and advice but also treading sensitively through this process with all stakeholders.”
What are Shoreline Adaptation Plans?
Shoreline Adaptation Plans apply a long-term, sustainable approach to the management of Auckland’s vast coastline over the next 100 years, explains Paul Klinac, General Manager, Engineering, Assets and Technical Advisory.
“Our Shoreline Adaptation Plans take a systems-based approach which helps us to co-develop adaptive management plans with mana whenua and communities”.
“These are living documents that consider both the experiences and values we place on the coast and how these may change due to the impacts of coastal hazards and climate change,” says Mr Klinac.
Maintain: Allow for some maintenance to existing coastal defences, and ensure we keep assets safe while accepting that natural coastal processes will change the position of the coastline over time. This strategy also identifies that some assets or uses (like footpaths, sports fields and car parks) may need to be moved to manage potential risks.
Protect: Defend council-owned assets and land from erosion and flooding and preserve these areas for their intended uses (such as highly valued recreational spaces). We can do this by taking protective measures like building sea walls and planting dunes.
No action: Let nature take its course without intervention. We apply this strategy to coastal areas where council-owned land and assets are not exposed to coastal hazards. This strategy does not invest in hard protection structures and favours the preservation of a natural coastal edge.
Adaptation Priority: Recognise the need to plan more to manage risks to our land and assets. We must consider social, cultural and natural values through further engagement with communities and asset owners.
'Adaptation Priority' could involve but is not limited to:
- moving assets or changing how we use land in high-risk areas to protect the environmental, cultural and recreational values and uses
- designing assets to manage and be resilient to the effect of coastal hazards
- building structures that protect the coast and reduce erosion.
Regional picture nearly complete
Auckland Council has developed, finalised and approved Shoreline Adaptation Plans for most of Auckland’s coastal areas. Each plan focuses on a different area of Auckland’s shoreline, with 11 plans approved in the last few months bringing the new total to 18 approved plans.
The Shoreline Adaptation Plans confirmed this year are:
- Waitemāta Harbour West
- Weiti Estuary to Devonport Peninsular
- Aotea Great Barrier and the Outer Hauraki Gulf Islands
- Kaipara (Moana) Harbour
- Pākiri to Mathesons Bay Te Kohuroa
- Ti Point to Sandspit
- Snells Beach to Ōrewa
- Manukau Harbour North
- Tāmaki River Inlet (Estuary)
- Highbrook to Whitford
- Whatipu to South Head
You can learn more about each of these plans and the rest of our Shoreline Adaptations Plans on the Auckland Council website.
