Over the past two months, Waitaki District Council roading and parks and recreational teams have been rock armouring, where rocks are placed along the shore to stop the sand being taken away and to protect the highway from erosion, and reshaping clay cliffs along Beach Rd and Waianakarua Rd, between Oamaru and Kakanui.
The project, budgeted at $63,000, had placed about 2170 tonnes of fill behind the walls and capped the clay, and a further 168 tonnes was used for rock armouring at the base.
At Tuesday’s assets committee meeting, councillors voiced concerns about using the same approach to tackle erosion in the Waitaki district.
Cr Williams said coastal erosion was a huge problem in the district and alternatives needed to be sought.
"We’ve kind of got a bit of a Band-Aid approach going along. I understand we’re a small council and we can’t afford big ideas sometimes. However, we may need to start looking at some bigger ideas.
"I’m just concerned we’re taking a very short-term look at what’s a huge problem if we are looking after our environment for future generations."
Roading manager Mike Harrison said before he started working at the council, a decision was made to manage Beach Rd in its present form. The council could seek advice to look at the matter in more detail if it chose to do so, he said.
"But it will be very expensive and it’s unlikely to have a significantly different outcome.
One site in Beach Rd, would be completed in within the next two weeks.
Native beach grasses would be planted on the top of the clay cliffs.
A date was yet to be set for that work, he said.
