Dune repairs at Ohope Beach

Remedial work to reshape two sections of the eroded dune face at Ohope Beach will occur this week, using new techniques that have been successful at Papamoa. The vertical dune face will be smoothed out to allow planting of native sand binding plants.

Pete McLaren from the Whakatane District Council says the work is to overcome the difficulty in establishing spinifex near the vertical faces. Mr McLaren says that part of the reason for these steep faces is that the dunes are covered in weeds that do not allow the dunes to recover the way that spinifex does.

“People will notice a digger working near Te Akau Street. We are trying it out over two short sections of the dune face first as we know that Ohope Beach has quite different characteristics from Papamoa.” Mr McLaren says. “We hope it will work well, however we have taken a cautious approach as there is a risk of erosion whenever the dunes are disturbed.”

The work is being done as part of the regional Coast Care programme. The programme has been successful in reducing the effects of coastal erosion by creating healthy dunes through planting.