Erosion could see car park under water

Thursday, 24 November 2016

Waitahanui residents are worried their prime fishing spots will soon be washed away with wet weather causing elevated lake levels and serious erosion problems.

At a popular fishing spot, on State Highway 1, in Waitahanui, the lake is creeping right up to the edge of a carpark.

Boulders that once sat flush against the side of the bank are now sitting out in the lake and less than a metre of ground is left between the car park and the water's edge.

Waitahanui resident, Karaitiana Harvey, is worried the car park will soon be under water.

'Losing the car park is a big worry for us,' he said.

'We would like to see anything done to save it. Or at least tried to.

'It needs to be before the car park is under water.'

The car park isn't the only concern. The area is also a favourite fishing spot, not just for the locals, but for many fishermen.

'Fishermen from Turangi come here a lot,' Harvey said.

Harvey has lived in Waitahanui since 1956 and has seen erosion happening in that area before. The boulders that now sit out in the lake were dropped there after the same problem between 2004 and 2006.

'It doesn't look like it's done any good,' Harvey said. 

Properties along the shoreline were also experiencing some issues with erosion and the solution to that problem was a rock wall situated in the lake three metres from the shoreline.

Harvey thinks extending that rock wall could be an answer to their current erosion problem.

On Thursday afternoon, a site meeting was held by the Department of Conservation and Waikato Regional Council about the erosion issue.

Senior Ranger Recreation/Historic for DoC, Murray Cleaver, said Taupo Downer, were to build a temporary protection wall.

'Really, they are putting in some big rocks,' he said.

'We will reclaim the lost land but the temporary solution is to build a break wall with rocks.

'It's been a huge collaboration between DoC and Waikato Regional Council to get this done.'

While the temporary solution is in place, Harvey and the rest of the Waitahanui community would like to see a permanent one put in and soon.

'It's a huge concern,' he said.

'What is it going to do if we don't do anything about it?'