We're reviewing our coastal structures policy to ensure we consider the needs of future communities, including the potential impact of climate change, as we decide when and how to maintain public coastal structures. Have your say at www.tauranga.govt.nz/coastal-structures by 17 November.

Coastal structures are any man-made building, equipment, device or other facility fixed to land along the coast. They include hard protection structures such as seawalls and groynes (aka breakwaters), and structures with recreational benefits like jetties and boat ramps.

The draft coastal structures policy will guide council's decisions on whether to build, maintain (or not), renew or remove public coastal structures.

Christine Jones, General Manager of Strategy and Growth, said that Tauranga City Council first adopted a policy on coastal structures in 2006 in response to a regional council requirement for all structures in the coastal area to have a consent.

'Now, in 2019, councils across New Zealand are required to consider the needs of future communities when making decisions about how they manage their assets, including considering the potential impact of climate change”, Christine said.

'We need to agree with the community how we'll protect council assets and activities like reserves, wastewater or transport infrastructure from potential risks such as sea level rise”, she said.

'The current discussion on the coastal structures policy is part of this.”

The proposed changes to the policy aim to prioritise attention to the coastal structures that protect essential public assets and activities, like water and wastewater pipes, essential roads, and reserves that provide public access around the coast. This means that council could decide to stop maintaining or to remove structures protecting less-essential activities.

As per the current policy, Council will not build or maintain structures to protect private or commercial interests. Instead, the draft policy proposes to allow landowners, under conditions, to build new hard protection structures on council land to protect their private property; or to take over the maintenance or ownership of a protection structure that council has decided to stop maintaining.

Information on the key proposed changes is available at www.tauranga.govt.nz/coastal-structures along with the full draft policy and online submission forms.

Paper copies are also available at the customer service centre at 91 Willow Street and in libraries.

Consultation closes on Sunday 17 November. Council will use the community's feedback to propose a final revised policy for adoption by Council, likely early 2020.