Woody Debris Removal Continues

Removal of woody debris from Wairoa district coastlines is continuing.
It is estimated around 180,000m3 of debris was dumped on beaches and river mouths and around bridges as a result of Cyclone Gabrielle.
Approximately 30,000 m3 of woody debris has been recovered to date with stockpiles of debris mulched, carted away and burnt.
A focus has been on providing on safe recreational areas along the coastline, river mouths, beaches and bridges. The massive recovery effort started in the middle of last year with the coastline currently being targeted.
Woody debris clearing has been funded through the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council administered Silt and Debris Taskforce.

Woody debris burning at Mahia/Opoutama beach.

Clearing woody debris from the Waikare Beach area adjacent to the river mouth.

Burning stacks of woody debris along the Waikare coastline near the Waitaha Stream outlet

Woody Debris Burning

The Hawke’s Bay Silt and Debris Recovery Taskforce planned and monitored burning of woody debris is continuing.
Permitted burning of stacked debris will soon take place at Whakamahi Beach – weather dependent.
FENZ permits and firecom communications will accompany all burns.
Liaison has taken place with stakeholders and tangata whenua.
The burning will be carried out by experienced practitioners who have been trained in large fire techniques and have appropriate plant and safety equipment on site.
The burning process at Whakamahi Beach is expected to take up to a month.

Controlled woody debris burning at Taylor’s Bay, Mahia, earlier this year.

Additional government funding for silt recovery taskforce

Central Government has announced a further $40m in funding for the Silt Recovery Taskforce.

This funding will allow the task force to regain momentum and work to restore more of the region’s productive land in the process.

$3m of the $40m has been ringfenced for dealing with further woody debris in Wairoa. Some of the funding will also be used for the disposal of accumulated waste and the restoration of all processing sites.

Prior to the announcement of additional funding, in the Wairoa district, key recreational areas and traditional fishing zones had been mostly cleared of woody debris, with around 50,000m3 of debris recovered from Wairoa’s beaches and riverbanks.
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The massive recovery effort to remove woody debris dumped on coastlines, river mouths and recreational areas due to Cyclone Gabrielle started in the middle of last year with a focus on providing safe recreational areas along the coastline, river mouths, beaches and bridges.

​Stockpiles of woody debris have been mulched, carted away and in most locations the debris has been burnt.

Woody Debris Recovery Continues

Woody debris recovery from beaches and around bridges has seen more than 20,000 cubic metres stockpiled around the district.

Stage one of the clearing involves stacking the debris into piles above the high tide mark so people can again enjoy using local beaches. Stage two will see the piles incinerated, mulched, made available firewood and community use or left to nature. This is subject to further funding if it becomes available to the Silt and Debris Recovery Taskforce.

At Mohaka Beach, both East and West and around the river mouth, 5,000m3 has been piled. At Whakamahi Beach, 200 m3 of native timber has been recovered and stockpiled for marae use, and around 3,000 m3 of debris remains stockpiled. At the Kopu Road mudflats, progress has been made in removing stranded debris and stacking it on the adjacent wetlands outside the tidal zone. To date, approximately 800 m3 of woody debris has been removed. At Mahia and Opoutama beaches, large debris has been stacked into piles above the high-water line. The piles of debris have been removed from the boat ramp area and are being removed from the beach onto the east end of the Pohutakawa Reserve. The work on the beach has progressed as far as the Mahia Golf Club and approximately 2,000 m3 has been stockpiled, with an additional 8,000 m3 in piles on the beach. Some large logs are being embedded in the upper high tide zone for shorebird protection.

Debris clearance has been completed at most of the 26 bridge sites where work was programmed.

People are encouraged to help themselves to firewood from the piles. However, they are also reminded to please be careful around the piles of debris, please do not to light them on fire, and for children not to climb on the stacked piles as the piled logs can easily roll.

Subject to available funding, the following debris recovery sites remain on the works schedule: Taylor’s Bay, Mangawhio Lagoon, Mahanga Beach, Black’s Beach, Waikare Beach and Waihua Beach.

The Wairoa District Council is assisting the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council project, which includes liaising with tangata whenua and communities to draw on local knowledge.

People are encouraged to report areas that need debris removed by following the Council’s CSR (Customer Service Request) process either online https://www.wairoadc.govt.nz/contact-us/customer- service-request/ or by phoning the Council on +64 6 838 7309 or calling into the Queen Street office.

Alternatively, phone the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council on 0800 108 838 or visit the regional council website to inform them about an issue or log a job for the regional council to follow up on.

Woody debris is stockpiled on the Pohutakawa Reserve at Mahia.