Popular beaches undergoing repairs after storms

Several areas of Orewa Beach, north of Auckland, have been closed to visitors this week as remediation gets underway to restore areas hit by storms in late October.

The $260,000 spend by Auckland Council is to remove debris, pipes and manholes exposed around Kohu St; replenish sand around Kinlock and Arundel Reserves; repair the boat ramp at Puriri Ave; and move sand that had washed down to the southern end of the beach up to the stretch in front of Orewa Recreation Reserve.

The storm events had created a steep scarp, restricting access to the beach, which has been filled to also provide a buffer for future storm events.

The council had already worked to repair damage caused by Cyclone Gabrielle, which was completed earlier this year.

There has been extensive damage along the east coast beaches of the wider Auckland area as a result of the large number of weather events experienced through 2023.

The October storms have had a major impact on the Browns Bay beachfront, and remediation works are currently being investigated, a spokesman for Auckland Council said.

Remediation work on the beach at Orewa meant several areas were off-limits to visitors.

Erosion on the foreshore at Orewa Beach after Cyclone Gabrielle.

The council is currently working through repairs and remediation, with some sites repaired and reopened and others still in progress.

Repairs to Auckland’s beaches will be more common with increasing storm events.

Unfortunately for beach bunnies and ratepayers, the anticipated increase in the number and intensity of storm events will have a major impact on our most popular recreation areas.

Paul Klinac, general manager for resilient land and coasts at Auckland Council, outlined a future where beaches will be closed for repair works more frequently.

Work to repair beaches has been going on all along Auckland’s east coast.

“Recent severe storm events, which are expected to become more frequent in the future, have provided a timely reminder that Tāmaki Makaurau must move towards more adaptive and resilient management responses, which align with a changing climate and not against it.”

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