Tropical Cyclone Pam caused minimal damage to the coastline around Mercury Bay, says the ward's area manager Len Whittaker.

Council staff and contractors quickly carried out repair work on Monday and Tuesday to the four areas that were affected: Cooks Beach, Buffalo Beach, Brophy's Beach and Whangapoua.

Work at Cooks Beach to repair damage from Cyclone Pam. Photo: TCDC

Len says at Cooks Beach the erosion experienced was at the end of the homeowners' wall and cause a potential threat to the Thames-Coromandel District Council's wastewater pump station.

'Council put in some geofabric, rock and sand push-up as a temporary repair,” says Len. 'There are plans to extend the existing seawall by about 100 metres but those plans are still going through the consenting process.”

Work to repair erosion from Cyclone Pam at Buffalo Beach. Photo: TCDC

At Buffalo Beach, Pam's storm surge cut away about 10m of footpath at the end of the existing seawall to the edge of the carpark.

A sand push-up carried out before Pam struck late Sunday as a 'sacrificial layer” meant the damage from the storm was minimal.

After the storm had passed geofabric, rock and a sand push-up were put in place as a temporary repair.

Late last week a contract to extend the seawall at Buffalo Beach was awarded to Whitianga firm Roadworx Ltd.

Cyclone Pam's storm surge pushed water over Brophy's Beach up to SH25. Photo: TCDC

While over at Brophy's Beach there was minimal erosion but the sea did come over the foreshore up to State Highway 25.

Work on a geotextile seawall to replace the existing rock seawall at Brophy's Beach is expected to start late April/May.

A footing will be excavated and geotextile bags will be laid on top of each other to form a wall.

Sand will then be pushed over the bags and eventually planted with native species that will help keep the sand in place and help resist erosion.

A sand push-up at Whangapoua was partially cut away by Cyclone Pam's surge. Photo: TCDC

At Whangapoua there was some erosion to the toe of a sand push-up that local homeowners had done a couple of months ago.

The Coromandel Peninsula's beaches are one of the major reasons people come to visit and live here, but keeping them in such magnificent condition comes at a cost.

To learn more visit the Thames-Coromandel District Council's Coastal Management Webpage.