Development of the Thames Coromandel shoreline management plan
Project facts
- ClientThames Coromandel District Council
- LocationCoromandel Peninsula, New Zealand
- Date2019-2022
- ChallengeProtecting a 400 km coastline from increasing climate hazards
- SolutionCoastal adaptation pathways and a community-focused shoreline management plan
The challenge: Protecting a 400km coastline from increasing climate hazards
The Coromandel Peninsula in New Zealand has 400km of coastline. As global warming increases the frequency of climate hazards, such as storm surges and erosion, the Thames Coromandel District Council needed to increase its focus on climate resilience to protect its shores. And with 90% of the peninsula’s population living in coastal zones, building resilience for 30,000 permanent residents and 300,000 holiday makers per year was vital.
The Thames Coromandel District Council needed a shoreline management plan to inform its investment decisions for the future – and secure community buy-in for long-term coastal adaptation projects.
This included identifying areas of coastline which would most benefit from resilient infrastructure, as well as other locations where there is no viable way to hold back the sea.
The solution: Coastal adaptation pathways and a community-focused shoreline management plan
At Royal HaskoningDHV, we helped the Thames Coromandel District Council develop its shoreline management plan. And with the decisions influencing a 100-year time frame, we made sure to engage the local community at every stage.
By hosting four public engagement events and 14 coastal panel meetings, we could build community engagement in parallel with our technical assessment. This hazard assessment covered scoping, modelling, and mapping – focusing on coastal inundation, erosion, and landslides – to deliver a complete technical i-Report and provide meaningful recommendations.
And as well as identifying and assessing climate hazards, we’re supporting the Thames Coromandel District Council in managing these risks with coastal management policies and community action plans that will help protect coastal communities and assets well into the future.
The result: A clear roadmap for a climate resilient future
The Thames Coromandel District Council now has a clear direction for its future planning. It has 138 new coastal adaptation pathways which all address the local needs of the peninsula and have been extensively refined from a shortlist.
As well as this clear roadmap, the district council, local stakeholder groups, and the wider community have been encouraged to get on board with the plans to protect their homes, livelihoods, and environment. And the region is building its resilience – so it’s ready to face current and future climate change.
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