A fortnight ago it announced reopening the road by Christmas will not happen following the cleanup of two illegal historic dumps at the road’s edge.
Under Project Reclaim, 19,000 tonnes of material was carted to Palmerston from the two sites on Beach Rd.
As it transpired, this was 36.8% more than initial core testing indicated, with 7000 tonnes more material found than predicted,
leaving two massive holes in the road.
Nothing was in the pot for road reinstatement within the $15 million Project Reclaim budget
The old Hampden Beach dump was also covered to avert environmental disaster, and 35,000 tonnes taken to Palmerston in July.
With Beach Rd now blocked off, the council meeting on Tuesday was asked to consider a future approach to vulnerable coastal sites in the district.
It voted unanimously to consult the public via the 2025-34 Long Term Plan, the draft of which is due early in the New Year.
An addendum to the agenda on Tuesday included price information for reinstatement.
Assets manager Joshua Rendell said the relevant quantity survey had only arrived on Monday.
His earlier report last week said reinstating the road would not be cost effective - although no numbers were provided at the time.
Mr Rendell said council officers had since generated "an estimate".
Spend $720,000 to realign the two severed sections around the dump holes.
Spend $353,000 to realign the road inland from the intersection with Awamoa Rd.
The two options were "a concept design only".
Project Reclaim had "never included" a reinstatement option, although the council had hoped there might be money left over, he said.
Route and traffic data put to council showed Beach Rd was "not the fastest" or most used route to Kakanui.
"It’s also prone to erosion," Mr Rendell said.
Purely on an infrastructure assessment, staff would recommend it be closed. But the desirability of the "amenity" was also relevant.
"It’s well known that people enjoy that drive ... and is an outstanding area in New Zealand."
Cr Jeremy Holding asked if staff were wanting council to make an immediate decision.
Mr Rendell said it was up to elected members.
Cr Rebecca Ryan asked why some "key landowners" directly impacted by the closure now had not been kept informed.
Mr Rendell said the landowners "were talked to a great deal" at the beginning of the cleanup.
"We didn’t necessarily anticipate the position we would be in.
"At the moment there is no legal requirement for us to reinstate the road."
He acknowledged the closure "may have potential" to hit landowners who had plans for their land.
Cr Guy Percival asked if there was NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi funding to keep the road where it was. He also queried the traffic count figures.
Mr Rendell said the council had received about $500,000 for resilience work across the district in the current year. He could not say when the traffic counts were taken.
Roading subcommittee chairman Cr Jim Thomson said he did not wish to be negative but he was disappointed at poor communication despite a request early on.
What had transpired had been "absolutely nothing" and the information now was like "being asked to pass the ball after being hit by the tackler".
"It’s just cart before the horse."
Mr Rendell acknowledged that.
"We probably haven’t communicated as well as we should have. It’s another reason to consult with the community because we haven’t [yet] got the collective voice of the community."
Cr John McCone said the options seemed limited with the coastline "under pressure".
"I know it’s a shame; it’s a beautiful part of the country to drive around."
Cr Jim Hopkins said any consultation needed to include the full design cost.
"It would be premature in my view to make a decision today," he said.
"These roads promote a lot of intensity ... there are strong views either way."
He said recent history suggested the council should not be hasty. A report to councillors about 10 years ago suggested the loss of Beach Rd north was imminent.
The council subsequently invested in hotspots along the road.
"What is fascinating [is] those predictions of concern have largely not come to pass.
"In recent times that section of Beach Rd has been pretty stable."
At the same time, any realignment would not be "a zero sum game" into the future, he said.
