Gravel beach renourishment: Amberley Beach, Canterbury, New Zealand Conference Paper
- Author
- Todd, D.
- Year
- 2003
- Journal / Source
- Coasts & Ports 2003 Australasian Conference : Proceedings of the 16th Australasian Coastal and Ocean Engineering Conference, the 9th Australasian Port and Harbour Conference and the Annual New Zealand Coastal Society Conference
- Pages
- 1121 - 1129
- Summary
- Amberley Beach is a small settlement located behind a low mixed sand and gravel beach ridge at the northern end of Pegasus Bay, Canterbury. Over the last fifty years the beach changed from accretionary to erosional due to a lack of gravel sized sediment supply. Sediment losses and ridge height reductions resulted in the settlement being inundated and evacuated during a coastal storm in 1992. As a result the local community constructed a beach renourishment along 250 m of the settlement beach frontage. The purpose of this renourishment was to raise the elevation of the beach and reduce the threat of erosion to property. This measure has worked well and prevented any further inundation of this part of the settlement. However, continued erosion and lowering of the beach ridge height along the remainder of the settlement’s coastal frontage resulted in the community in 2002 lobbying the District Council to undertake further coastal protection works. Following consultation on the possible options and funding issues it was decided by the community that the best solution was to undertake a further renourishment. The design involved importing of 8,000 m3 of gravels to raise the beach crest elevation by up to 1 m over a 1.1 km length of beach in front of the settlement. A local gravel extraction company made available to the community the required material at a subsidised rate. Resource consent, required under the Regional Coastal Environment Plan, were lodged in 2002 and granted in early 2003. The construction of the renourishment is scheduled for July 2003, followed by re-vegetation by the community.