Cockle Bay Beach Needs New Sand

Auckland Council together with the Howick Local Board and Auckland Transport is working on a project that will manage erosion and sand replenishment in Howick.

A temporary seawall structure has been installed along Cockle Bay Beach, Howick, to minimize the risk of further erosion following a storm in January. However, a more permanent solution is urgently needed, reported the Council.

“The storm on 5 January eroded a section of reserve close to the only road in and out of the area,” said Paul Klinac, Auckland Council’s manager of coastal and geotechnical services.

“More unsettled weather is predicted, so we want to protect the remaining area of reserve and infrastructure while completing the design for a more permanent response. This is likely to include an extension of the seawall.”

Areas including Cockle Bay, Eastern Beach, Bucklands Beach and Mellons Bay are considered priorities but no decisions have yet been made.

Managing coastal erosion and sand replenishment on the east coast is a key priority in the recently adopted Howick Local Board Plan. Acting Howick Local Board Chair Katrina Bungard said that the local board will consider all options at its business meeting on 19 February.