New rock wall will protect vulnerable Haumoana coastline

The building of a rock revetment wall to protect Cape View Corner, Haumoana, from erosion can now get underway with the resource consents for the work now approved.

Cape View Corner at the intersection of East, Beach and Clifton Roads, is a vital connection for the local residents of East Haumoana, Te Awanga and Clifton, as well as the many visitors and tourists to the area.

In the 2020/2021 Annual Plan, Hastings District Council allocated $600,000 funding for the work that will help protect roads and infrastructure from coastal erosion and inundation,, as well as provide continued access to residents and visitors.

Hastings and Hawke’s Bay Regional councils have both signed off on consents for the 100m long wall that will be built from large limestone rocks – the final result being similar to the revetment wall built at Clifton Beach.

Subject to weather and sea conditions, construction of the wall is anticipated to begin about May 10 with the laying of a solid foundation for the rocks and is expected to take about eight weeks.

After the wall is finished, landscape planting, as well as cycleway and parking developments will be undertaken to help ensure the area remains visually appealing.

Heretaunga ward councillor Ann Redstone said the community had been calling for some kind of coastal protection for a number of years and that it was pleasing to have this long-awaited project close to being underway.

“This area is considered one of the most at-risk areas of the Hawke’s Bay coastline in terms of inundation and erosion, exacerbated by climate change, large seasonal swells and the overall rise in the sea level.

“Thousands of people, both locals and visitors, use the stretch of road along the coast year-round – it’s a gateway to the iconic tourist attraction of Cape Kidnappers, and also a well-used thoroughfare for locals.

“It’s great this work is about to get underway …. the Cape Coast is the jewel in our crown and worth protecting.”

28 April 2021

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