McKee reserve campground, near Nelson, may close permanently

Saturday, 3 March 2018

The McKee Memorial Recreation Reserve was devastated on February 1 by the effects of ex-Tropical Cyclone Fehi.

The days may be numbered for the popular campground at McKee Memorial Recreation Reserve, near Nelson.

Already prone to flooding, the picturesque seaside spot was hammered on February 1 by the effects ex-Tropical Cyclone Fehi. Inundated by stormwater and seawater from a massive surge that swamped several coastal areas around the Nelson-Tasman region, the reserve has not been reopened.

McKee Memorial Recreation Reserve suffered significant damage when Fehi hit the district on February 1.

Options for its future and the associated costs are due to go before the Tasman District Council community development committee in April. One of those options looks likely to be the permanent closure of the campground.

'Do you want to fix it back to a campground,' reserves and facilities manager Beryl Wilkes on Thursday asked councillors. 'Would you like to repair it enough so you have something happening there or do we just repair it back to a picnic area?'

Part of the road along the front beach at Rabbit Island collapsed in the February 1 storm.

Grass and trees affected by saltwater are dead and dying at Greenslade Park on Rough Island.

* Ruby Bay residents face long heartbreaking cleanup

* Rabbit Island roads erode into the sea

Grass and trees bathed in saltwater are dead and dying between Tic Toc Rd and the equestrian area on Rough Island.

* Slips, coastal inundation pose threat to Ruby Bay scenic route**

McKee reserve is of 23 council reserves damaged by Fehi with trees and grass dead and dying due to salt water inundation.

Large eucalypt trees affected by saltwater are dying at Rototai Reserve in Golden Bay.

Cr Stuart Bryant acknowledged the prized spot of McKee Domain, which is always full over the key summer period. However, he questioned its future viability.

'I do think the time is coming when we have to consider whether we're going to continue with it as a camping ground,' he said.

With climate change and sea level rise, 'in time, it won't be there'.

'Is now the time to consider some sort of staged withdrawal?'

Cr Trevor Tuffnell said the council did not have 'bucketloads of money' and called for a 'total overview' of the reserve.

Cr Sue Brown urged the discussion to include consideration of how the council 'might be accommodating cheaper camping options' and 'remote camping options' for Tasman residents.

Many residents of the Nelson-Tasman region stay regularly at the McKee campground, which is relatively cheap at $6 per person with youngsters under 16 free.

A group of regular campers in January called for urgent work to improve drainage at site where stagnant water at times covered parts of the reserve, which sits on a thin stretch of shoreline under the Ruby Bay bluffs.

In a report, Wilkes says there have been failures of the sewerage system at the reserve since the summer of 2016-17.

'We replaced the pumps and installed new telemetry to assist with the problem,' she says. 'However, due to the recent series of high rainfall events and storm surges, the system continues to fail.'

Engineering advice was that the council should replace the sewerage pipe from the reserve to Ruby Bay, raise the height of the pumps and gully traps as well as raise the height of the toilets.

Fehi caused serious damage and any long-term repairs 'will be expensive'.

'We are gathering costs of repairs to the sewerage system and options to control the stormwater off the road, which I will report to the committee at its April meeting and seek your direction on how to proceed,' Wilkes says.

Wilkes said rough estimates for tidying up the reserves indicated it could cost up to $400,000. However, that did not include McKee reserve.

Of the 23 council reserves damaged by Fehi 14 were in Tasman Bay and nine in Golden Bay.

Council reserves officer Stephen Richards outlined to councillors the effects in some of the worst-hit areas. Grass and trees that had been inundated by seawater were dead or dying. Some large eucalypt trees died within 10 days.

There would be 'months and months of work' removing the dead trees.

'We've lost a lot of our plantings that we've done with the volunteers and Rotary and the school groups so … we're all feeling a bit sad,' Richards said.

At Rabbit Island, the front beach had 4m of erosion, the road had been undermined and the fencing washed away.

'We haven't started any cleanup; it's all roped off,' he said, adding that further discussion was needed about 'how we're going to manage this area moving forward'.

Cr Paul Sangster said he was concerned repair work at the site could be 'a waste of time'.

'We know, according the experts, that climate change is going to do this again to us so if you're not going to rockwall it and really try and save it, then just leave it as it is.'

Community development manager Susan Edwards said the reserve management plan had a managed retreat policy 'so the intention will not be to replace the road'. However, the site needed to be cleared, safe beach access provided 'and there may be an opportunity to do some general restoration work'.

Richards said the effects at Little Kaiteriteri were a mixed bag with sand pushed up on the eastern side but 6m to 8m of the beachfront eroded at the Kaiteriteri end.

The cycle trail near Richmond received a lot of damage with the surface 'completely eroded away' in many places between the aquatic centre and Sandeman Reserve, before Nelson Pine Industries. Some areas of boardwalk had been broken up and washed away.

'It's quite a significant rebuild,' Richards said.