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Gisborne District Council
Wainui Beach Management Strategy Project - Developing a Coastal Erosion Prevention Strategy

Location: Gisborne 4040, New Zealand
Sponsor: Kevin Strongman
Facilitator: Sheryl Smail CPF
Project Team: Kevin Strongman (Chair), Brian Wilson, Peter Higgs, Kim Smith, Grahame Smail, Yvette Kinsella

Description

Gisborne District Council (GDC) needed to develop a strategy for managing coastal erosion at Wainui Beach, an iconic surf beach that experiences rapid erosion events during storms followed by slow rebuilding of sand dunes.  There were no easy answers.  The regulatory and natural environments were complex.  GDC had been refused consent to implement the existing Strategy.  GDC anticipated diverse and strongly held stakeholders’ views regarding the best way forward.   It had a genuine commitment to develop a sustainable Strategy that had broad acceptance among the community and contracted an independent facilitator to assist in achieving this. 

Key Results Achieved

Key results achieved include:

  • A project underpinned by a community - endorsed stakeholder engagement process

  • Key Stakeholder Forum consensus on a Wainui Beach Management Strategy for Coastal Erosion that was accepted by the community and adopted by GDC 

  • Strong community ‘ownership’ of a plan that has short term (10 – 20 years), medium term (20 – 30 years) and longer term (next 100 years) strategies.

  • Strategy that manages the beach in an evidence-based, integrated and holistic way
     

    Sponsor: Kevin Strongman
    Group Manager Environmental and Regulatory Services
    Facilitator: Sheryl Smail CPF
    Project Team: Kevin Strongman (Chair), Brian Wilson, Peter Higgs, Kim Smith, Grahame Smail, Yvette Kinsella
    Pivotal – the Facilitators