Latest news with #erosion
BBC News
10 hours ago
- General
- BBC News
Sidmouth coastal defence work pushed back to 2027
The start date for a £21m coastal defence scheme has been pushed back to 2027 due to "various delays", a council has Devon District Council said the project would help protect Sidmouth town and seafront from flooding and erosion for the next 100 project was originally due to begin this year but the council said "a number of factors" had caused delays, including discussions around planning and "various delays due to contractor and staff resources". Councillor Geoff Jung, portfolio holder for coast, country and environment, said: "The team is confident that good planning and teamwork will ensure the project succeeds in protecting Sidmouth's coast." He said they "recognise how important this coastal defence scheme is for the people of Sidmouth"."We're fully committed to moving ahead positively, and we're grateful for the continued support from our community, local councils, and partners," he project, which includes the area between Jacob's Ladder and East Beach, was originally due to begin this August 2024 the council announced delays, saying the project was due to begin in around two years' time.A tendering process is set to begin later in the summer, with the company chosen to carry out the work set to be appointed by the end of the the chosen contractor has been appointed, the project will move onto the design stage, with local residents and stakeholder groups Devon Distict Council is working alongside Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Councils to form the South West Flood and Coastal (SWFC) team.A project board made up of representatives from the council, the Environment Agency and other key partners is also overseeing the delivery of the project and its council said the preferred option for the scheme, chosen following community consultation, is a hybrid one involving breakwaters and increasing the level of shingle on the beach, known as recharging.A "super groyne", which is a barrier going from the beach to the sea, is to be built on East beach or a possible offshore breakwater could be built, which would be designed specifically to retain shingle. The new shared SWFC service would provide sufficient officer and specialist support to this important scheme moving forward, they said plans for a splash wall, which is a secondary coastal defensive wall, was to be re-evaluated and re-considered, following further careful studies."This option will save money in the long run while protecting homes and businesses in the area from floods, risks of rising sea levels, impacts of climate change and erosion for years to come," they project has been funded by the Environment Agency, local councils and community groups.
RNZ News
15-06-2025
- General
- RNZ News
Mangawhai risks $100 million economic disaster if sandspit fails: warning
Mangawhai Harbour Restoration Society dredge operator Mark Vercoe on the sandspit where the barge in the background pumps sand along the black pipe beside him, to keep the harbour open and build up the protective sand dune barrier known as a bund wall that protects the sandspit from harbourside-generated erosion. Photo: LDR / Susan Botting Local Democracy Reporter Northland Mangawhai sandspit has recently been confirmed to have lost more than 420,000 tonnes of its locally-unique non-replenishing sand . Many in the community worry about its future as a result. Mangawhai sandspit is described as "a hotbed of coastal management considerations" by a University of Auckland academic. The rare landform is one of just five drumstick-shaped sandspits in New Zealand. Its sand was predominantly made hundreds of thousands of years ago from volcanic explosions in the central North Island, delivered by the Waikato River. It's at the epicentre of competing tensions between seabed sand mining, local and central government bureaucracy, New Zealand's rarest bird, community groups, conservation, harbour health, mana whenua, population growth, tourism, recreation and development. In the first of a two-part feature, Local Democracy Reporting Northland reporter Susan Botting looks at what sort of health report card those connected with the rare landform give it. New Zealand's fastest-growing coastal settlement risks a more than $100 million economic disaster if Mangawhai Sandspit fails, a community leader warns. The stark warning is from community group Mangawhai Matters member Dr Phil McDermott, a former Massey professor of resource and environmental planning. A second breach of the sandspit where sea washed in from the Pacific Ocean would hit the economy on many fronts, he says. McDermott was among a range of community leaders, councils, coastal experts and government organisations who raised their fears for the spit's future with Local Democracy Reporting Northland. They have overwhelmingly given the spit's health a bare pass of C report card, pointing to a range of reasons. Rising sea levels and intensifying storms are among the issues sounding warning bells. Community group leaders Mangawhai Matters' Dr Phil McDermott (left) and chair Doug Lloyd say the settlement's iconic sandspit is highly valued by the local community Photo: LDR / Susan Botting Local Democracy Reporter Northland McDermott said the economic hit would be from plummeting property values, disappearing tourism, and fewer visitors. "There are so many pressures including significant development," McDermott said. Mangawhai Matters has successfully legally challenged unfettered Mangawhai development. The sandspit breached in 1978 after a huge storm. The resulting 600 metre channel split the three kilometre long, 3 square kilometre spit in half for more than a decade. The breach led to today's main northern harbour entrance filling up with sand as Mangawhai Harbour discharged via a new exit point to the sea. Renegade action by the local community known as "the Big Dig" opened the channel. Looking east across Mangawhai sandspit where sand from adjacent Mangawahi Harbour is piped onto prescribed locations under a formal Department of Conservation concession. Photo: LDR / Susan Botting Local Democracy Reporter Northland The blockage led to stagnating harbour water. House prices fell and properties weren't selling. Banks in some cases did not want to provide mortgage lending. Work to open the blockage and close the breach finally started in 1991. Mangawhai Sandspit's at the epicentre of competing tensions between seabed sand mining, local and central government bureaucracy, New Zealand's rarest bird, community groups, conservation, harbour health, mana whenua, population growth, tourism, recreation and development. Mangawhai Matters community group chair Doug Lloyd said surveying showed the harbour and sandspit were rated the most important feature of their local area. When Lloyd arrived in Mangawhai in 1989 there were about 600 people there. Now there are up to 20,000 over the summer peak. And there are more than 2000 new houses on the cards in several big developments. Mangawhai Harbour Restoration Society chair Peter Wethey. Photo: LDR / Susan Botting Local Democracy Reporter Northland Mangawhai Harbour Restoration Society (MHRS)'s Peter Wethey chairs the community group credited by many as having had a key role in the spit surviving to the degree it has. The society runs New Zealand's only dredging operation of its type, sucking up sand blown into the sea from Mangawhai Sandspit and putting it back onto the rare coastal landform. Wethey said the dredging was about keeping the harbour's ever-filling navigation channels open and protecting the spit with an about 800 metre long harbourside bund - effectively a man-made sand dune strip edging to protect it from future breaching. Longtime MHRS dredge operator Mark Vercoe said the process of sustainably delivering sand from the harbour floor to the prescribed location, that continued to strengthen spit protection, was an exacting one. Just over 5000 Kaipara District Council (KDC) Mangawhai Harbour catchment ratepayers pay $80 annually towards the society for its work. Kaipara Mayor Craig Jepson said that money was well spent to protect the spit, echoing many in the community by saying the group had to navigate significant bureaucracy to do its work. Jepson said he believed too much of the society's funds and time were being wasted on bureaucracy when they were better spent on taking action. Mangawhai Harbour Restoration Society pumps sand from the local harbour back onto the spit each year. Photo: LDR / Susan Botting Local Democracy Reporter Northland Northland Regional Council (NRC) governs consenting for the dredge's sand extraction with up to 50,000 cubic metres of sand dredgings allowed annually. More recently that quantity was not fixed but instead dependent on location and dredging depth. Dredging must take place between April and December each year, depending on where it happens and the values of those locations - outside the fairy tern breeding season. DoC rules on where the dredgings can go on the spit. DoC acting operations manager - Whangārei Sarah Newman-Watt, said the Mangawhai government wildlife refuge reserve was protected for its ecological significance, particularly for its critical nesting habitat for New Zealand's fairy tern/tara-iti and northern dotterel. She said the sandspit was the country's largest tara-iti breeding site with fewer than 45 individuals left. Fairy Tern Trust convenor and Mangawhai property owner of three decades Heather Rogan said the spit was critical for the bird's future. It was currently home to all but one of New Zealand's tara-iti nesting sites. University of Auckland coastal geomorphologist Professor Dr Mark Dickson said it was about how well the spit would do its job of protecting the Mangawhai community. The work of the community was essential. Mangawhai Sandspit's man-made, but looking quite natural, protective 800m long bund wall on the sandspit's western harbour shores. Photo: LDR / Susan Botting Local Democracy Reporter Northland Thousands of sand dune plants, kilometres of sand fencing to trap sand, pest control work and dredgings from the harbour going onto the sandspit towards maintaining its resilience are among this work. Dickson said the spit would undoubtedly breach again if left to its natural cycles without this community input. "The spit's not quite holding its own. It requires quite a level of intervention," Dickson said. Save Our Sands spokesperson Ken Rawyard gave the spit a D health report card. He said DoC was prohibiting the re-establishment of critical vegetation cover on the spit due to concerns about the fairy tern. Newman-Watt said this was not the case. It was actively encouraging the re-establishment of appropriate dune vegetation - where it supported the sandspit's health and resilience and did not conflict with conservation goals. Fairy terns needed open shell patches with very little to no vegetation for nesting. "At known nesting sites, DoC removes or limits vegetation to preserve these rare habitat conditions," Newman-Watts said. Mangawhai sandspit was a dynamic system that required careful, site-specific management. NRC local coastal south councillor Rick Stolwerk acknowledged there were processes that needed to be navigated before the dredging began. He said the spit was not faring as well as it could, but community members were doing great work. Te Uri o Hau Environs representative Cindy Hempsall did not want to comment on Mangawhai sandspit when approached by Local Democracy Reporting Northland. LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Municipalities, residents decry gaps in N.S. coastal protection as 'death by 1,000 cuts'
When Jessica Bradford first spotted a square patch of dirt infill as she drove along the Queens County coastline in Western Head, N.S., she had one thought. "That's not going to last very long," Bradford recalled thinking, standing last week near the section of infill as waves washed up on a rocky beach just steps away. It's unclear whether the infill project on private property along Shore Road follows proper guidelines. But even if it does, Bradford and some municipal leaders say the situation represents a major gap in Nova Scotia's approach to coastal protection. Bradford said she first noticed work being done on the small strip of land along the roadside beside the beach two weeks ago. She said trees and grasses were removed to allow for heavy equipment to spread dirt over the site. The move made her concerned the loss of established root systems would speed up erosion and worsen flooding on the road, Bradford said, which often becomes submerged during storms. "We know the importance of living shorelines," Bradford said. "It made me wonder, how was this allowed to happen?" When Nova Scotia's Progressive Conservative government decided to not proclaim the Coastal Protection Act that would have brought in provincewide rules last February, it said municipalities could enact own bylaws on the issue. It also released mapping tools and information, so property owners could make an "informed decision" about protecting their land and buildings from sea-level rise and erosion. But Bradford said the Region of Queens Municipality — which has land-use bylaws that address coastal setbacks — told her it was not aware of the Shore Road project, and had not received any permit applications for the site. Provincial staff have told Bradford they are looking into whether the project followed their rules and had the correct permits. CBC News reached out to the property owner but did not receive a response. Scott Christian, Queens mayor, said legislation allows municipalities to regulate infill and removal of vegetative buffers on a coastline — but only when it's related to development. If a property owner doesn't plan to build anything on their land right away, infill projects fall under provincial jurisdiction. "I think that's problematic because I think it opens up the door where people could just say, 'Well, I'm not planning on developing,'" Christian said. "Even if a structure isn't envisioned on a property, I think we need to protect against the problematic removal of natural vegetation along our shoreline. So we need to do better." Christian said he's had residents complain of seven current Queens County projects where vegetation was removed or infill brought in, including Western Head. "I appreciate their advocacy, but we simply don't have a leg to stand on," Christian said. Christian also said municipalities can only govern private property above the high-water mark. Anything happening below that, such as armoured walls reaching into the water, falls under provincial jurisdiction. If infill stretches farther into navigable waters or fish habitat, federal regulations could also apply. A large infill project featuring a rock wall on Little Crescent Beach in Lunenburg County brought many complaints from residents, and helped push the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg to bring in its own coastal bylaws last summer. Recent work on the site shows two wooden buildings coming up to the edge of the wall. The municipality's mayor, Elspeth McLean-Wile, said the new bylaw requires setbacks of 30 metres from the water's edge, but the project's development permits were issued before the new rules came in. However, McLean-Wile said there's still nothing the municipality can do to prevent a similar armoured wall project if it falls below the high-water mark like in the Crescent Beach case. "I think this is a misstep on the part of the provincial government," McLean-Wile said. "There are probably other issues as well, but infilling is one that really frustrates our residents. "These are the holes that continue to exist." Nicolas Winkler, coastal adaptation co-ordinator for the Ecology Action Centre in Halifax, said he continues to see coastal infill cases around Nova Scotia he's concerned about. But he said the full extent of the issue is difficult to know, because many are only visible from the water and are "out of sight, out of mind" for residents or government officials. "That is death by 1,000 cuts. It's these small, consistent … changes to our coastline that, over time, will add up to a coast that we may not recognize," Winkler said. Both McLean-Wile and Christian said they would prefer to see provincewide rules, and don't agree with the provincial government's comments that municipalities are best fit to handle the file because they know their communities best. If the province won't bring in the Coastal Protection Act, Christian and McLean-Wile said there needs to be a fulsome conversation between both levels of government about addressing the gaps left behind. "There's problematic infilling along our shoreline now. And so we need like pretty urgent action on this," Christian said. If legislation is changed to allow municipalities to regulate infill projects regardless of development plans, Christian said the move must come with far more financial and staffing resources than what has been offered so far. The province has provided template bylaws, and $1.3 million to the Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities for local governments to use on consulting fees for climate change and sustainability analysts. CBC News asked the Department of Environment and Climate Change to respond to the concerns about municipalities having no power over many infill and armoured rock projects, but they did not answer the question. "We have moved forward to what we feel is a better approach to protecting our 13,000 [kilometres] of diverse coastline," department spokesperson Cindy Porter said in an email. "The province is committed to continuing to support municipalities every step of the way." MORE TOP STORIES
CBC
09-06-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Municipalities, residents decry gaps in N.S. coastal protection as 'death by 1,000 cuts'
When Jessica Bradford first spotted a square patch of dirt infill as she drove along the Queens County coastline in Western Head, N.S., she had one thought. "That's not going to last very long," Bradford recalled thinking, standing last week near the section of infill as waves washed up on a rocky beach just steps away. It's unclear whether the infill project on private property along Shore Road follows proper guidelines. But even if it does, Bradford and some municipal leaders say the situation represents a major gap in Nova Scotia's approach to coastal protection. Bradford said she first noticed work being done on the small strip of land along the roadside beside the beach two weeks ago. She said trees and grasses were removed to allow for heavy equipment to spread dirt over the site. The move made her concerned the loss of established root systems would speed up erosion and worsen flooding on the road, Bradford said, which often becomes submerged during storms. "We know the importance of living shorelines," Bradford said. "It made me wonder, how was this allowed to happen?" When Nova Scotia's Progressive Conservative government decided to not proclaim the Coastal Protection Act that would have brought in provincewide rules last February, it said municipalities could enact own bylaws on the issue. It also released mapping tools and information, so property owners could make an "informed decision" about protecting their land and buildings from sea-level rise and erosion. But Bradford said the Region of Queens Municipality — which has land-use bylaws that address coastal setbacks — told her it was not aware of the Shore Road project, and had not received any permit applications for the site. Provincial staff have told Bradford they are looking into whether the project followed their rules and had the correct permits. CBC News reached out to the property owner but did not receive a response. Scott Christian, Queens mayor, said legislation allows municipalities to regulate infill and removal of vegetative buffers on a coastline — but only when it's related to development. If a property owner doesn't plan to build anything on their land right away, infill projects fall under provincial jurisdiction. "I think that's problematic because I think it opens up the door where people could just say, 'Well, I'm not planning on developing,'" Christian said. "Even if a structure isn't envisioned on a property, I think we need to protect against the problematic removal of natural vegetation along our shoreline. So we need to do better." Christian said he's had residents complain of seven current Queens County projects where vegetation was removed or infill brought in, including Western Head. "I appreciate their advocacy, but we simply don't have a leg to stand on," Christian said. Christian also said municipalities can only govern private property above the high-water mark. Anything happening below that, such as armoured walls reaching into the water, falls under provincial jurisdiction. If infill stretches farther into navigable waters or fish habitat, federal regulations could also apply. A large infill project featuring a rock wall on Little Crescent Beach in Lunenburg County brought many complaints from residents, and helped push the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg to bring in its own coastal bylaws last summer. Recent work on the site shows two wooden buildings coming up to the edge of the wall. The municipality's mayor, Elspeth McLean-Wile, said the new bylaw requires setbacks of 30 metres from the water's edge, but the project's development permits were issued before the new rules came in. However, McLean-Wile said there's still nothing the municipality can do to prevent a similar armoured wall project if it falls below the high-water mark like in the Crescent Beach case. "I think this is a misstep on the part of the provincial government," McLean-Wile said. "There are probably other issues as well, but infilling is one that really frustrates our residents. "These are the holes that continue to exist." Nicolas Winkler, coastal adaptation co-ordinator for the Ecology Action Centre in Halifax, said he continues to see coastal infill cases around Nova Scotia he's concerned about. But he said the full extent of the issue is difficult to know, because many are only visible from the water and are "out of sight, out of mind" for residents or government officials. "That is death by 1,000 cuts. It's these small, consistent … changes to our coastline that, over time, will add up to a coast that we may not recognize," Winkler said. Both McLean-Wile and Christian said they would prefer to see provincewide rules, and don't agree with the provincial government's comments that municipalities are best fit to handle the file because they know their communities best. If the province won't bring in the Coastal Protection Act, Christian and McLean-Wile said there needs to be a fulsome conversation between both levels of government about addressing the gaps left behind. "There's problematic infilling along our shoreline now. And so we need like pretty urgent action on this," Christian said. If legislation is changed to allow municipalities to regulate infill projects regardless of development plans, Christian said the move must come with far more financial and staffing resources than what has been offered so far. The province has provided template bylaws, and $1.3 million to the Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities for local governments to use on consulting fees for climate change and sustainability analysts. CBC News asked the Department of Environment and Climate Change to respond to the concerns about municipalities having no power over many infill and armoured rock projects, but they did not answer the question. "We have moved forward to what we feel is a better approach to protecting our 13,000 [kilometres] of diverse coastline," department spokesperson Cindy Porter said in an email.
CBC
02-06-2025
- Climate
- CBC
New warning signs being placed along P.E.I. coasts where erosion and flooding are risks
The government of P.E.I. is adding dozens of colourful signs to the coastline warning residents and visitors about areas that are prone to erosion or vulnerable to flooding. A total of 40 signs will be placed in 15 locations across the Island this summer, concentrating on areas where there is a lot of activity, such as beaches, walking trails, cliff sides and roadways. Pointing out that post-tropical storm Fiona caused a year's worth of erosion in a single night back in September 2022, P.E.I. Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Ernie Hudson said that just because a favourite walking spot used to be safe doesn't mean it is now. "Areas that, you know, five, 10, 15 years ago would have been considered safe to walk… [that] may not [be] and is not necessarily the case anymore," Hudson told CBC News. He said the new signs, developed in collaboration with the Department of Environment, Energy and Climate Action, are a direct response to recommendations from the P.E.I. Interim Coastal Policy Report. Unlike the province's standard green and yellow signage, these new signs feature large, bold text reading "Caution: Stay Back." Hudson said the design is intended to grab attention quickly and help prevent accidents. The erosion warning signs are going up at: North Cape Cabot Park The Victoria causeway Northumberland Park Red Point Park Thunder Cove East Point Wood Islands Park Flood warning signs will be placed at the following locations: North Rustico Bay The North Rustico wharf Grand River Tryon Brackley Panmure Island The Souris causeway Each sign will give details on how much shoreline was lost in that area over a specific period. Hudson said department experts came up with the locations after identifying areas of high risk, particularly where the public could unknowingly get too close to unstable cliffs. More sites may be added in the future depending on how coastal conditions change. While erosion is a province-wide issue, the minister said the government has taken steps to help protect the coastline. Hudson pointed to recent shoreline reinforcement work along the Souris causeway, as well as a major project completed last year at Cedar Dunes Provincial Park in West Point — home to P.E.I.'s tallest lighthouse. That $3.4-million initiative involved building giant rock reefs to stop the red sand beach from washing away. "Look at West Point," he said. "Certainly that is the best example, I think, that anybody could see of the benefits of some of the protective measurements that we have taken."
