A key step has been taken to help protect and enhance one of Auckland’s most popular coastal reserves for future generations.
The Hibiscus and Bays Local Board has adopted the Mairangi Bay Reserves Management Plan Variation 2025, following two rounds of public consultation and a formal hearings process.
This variation updates the 2015 management plan for the Mairangi Bay Reserves network which includes Mairangi Bay Beach Reserve, Sidmouth Street Reserve, and Montrose Terrace Reserve with a focus on addressing the impacts of climate change and coastal erosion.
The move follows findings from the 2022 Tonkin & Taylor Shoreline Management Options Report, which identified that important reserve assets, including the surf club, seawall, and beachfront playground, are vulnerable to erosion by 2070.
To protect these assets, the plan variation proposes a landward realignment of the reserve edge, including a new backstop seawall, the relocation of the Mairangi Bay Surf Lifesaving Club to a more resilient site at the northern end of the reserve, and the shifting of Montrose Terrace to the rear of the reserve.
Updated vision for the surf club
The updated plan enables a larger, integrated facility for the Mairangi Bay Surf Lifesaving Club, which has served the community for over 70 years. The new clubrooms are proposed to include a kiosk, public toilets and changing facilities, and integrated boat storage.
“The surf club is an essential part of the community, and these changes will help ensure it can continue to operate safely and effectively into the future,” says Local Board Chairperson Alexis Poppelbaum.
The club’s new footprint, an indicative ground lease area of 600m², will be confirmed through detailed design and subject to leasing and planning approvals.
Community engagement helps shape the plan
The variation was shaped through two rounds of public consultation, with 488 submissions received in 2025. Seventeen submitters spoke at the hearing in July, and the local board has accepted three additional late submissions.
The Hearing Panel, including an independent commissioner, recommended several amendments to the draft variation, which the local board has now approved. These include clarifying the surf club’s proposed footprint, maximising echelon car parking along the new laneway, and progressing road safety upgrades near Montrose Terrace.
“The community has played a critical role in this process,” says Poppelbaum. “Their feedback has helped ensure the plan reflects both local priorities and the need to adapt to future coastal challenges.”
A greener, more resilient reserve
Alongside the surf club relocation, the final plan includes strengthened policy support for native planting and habitat restoration, and a greater emphasis on mana whenua values in reserve design and amenity planning.
“These changes will support a more sustainable and accessible coastal environment while retaining the reserve’s much-loved character,” says Poppelbaum.
What’s next?
Now that the plan variation has been formally adopted, the updated Mairangi Bay Reserves Management Plan will be published soon on Auckland Council’s website. Council departments will be briefed to begin implementing the changes, with future projects subject to funding and consents.
Find out more about approval of the Mairangi Bay Reserves Management Plan Variation 2025 in the Hibiscus and Bays Local Board business meeting documents from 23 September on the council website.
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