Preliminary Options Assessment for The Dunes Matarangi Golf Course: Addressing Coastal Erosion Risks
eCoast’s expert coastal hazard and erosion risk assessment provides nature-based solutions for Matarangi Golf Course to address climate change impacts.
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eCoast’s Coastal Hazard Assessment and Adaptation Strategy for The Dunes Matarangi Golf Course
eCoast, renowned for its expertise in coastal hazard assessments and erosion management, recently conducted a Preliminary Options Assessment (POA) for The Dunes Matarangi Golf Course on the Coromandel Peninsula. With increasing risks from coastal erosion and rising sea levels, eCoast’s comprehensive report offers a blend of nature-based adaptation strategies, including dune restoration, sand nourishment, and long-term retreat options. Key recommendations also include enhanced shoreline monitoring and strategic engagement with local councils and iwi to ensure the most effective and socially acceptable solutions.
Information:
- Location: Matarangi, Coromandel Peninsula, New Zealand
- Client: Private landholder / Matarangi Land Holdings Ltd
- Project Date: 2024
Scope of Work:
- Coastal hazard and erosion risk assessment
- Development of nature-based adaptation options
- Shoreline monitoring and drone survey
- Preliminary Options Assessment (POA) report
Project Description:
The assessment identified progressive dune erosion and overtopping along the seaward ledge of The Dunes Matarangi Golf Course, threatening fairways and assets. Drone surveys and shoreline mapping confirmed limited dune recovery and growing vulnerability under climate change and sea-level rise. The POA outlines near-, medium-, and long-term options blending dune restoration, sand nourishment, and potential retreat of exposed areas.
Key Recommendations:
- Short-term: Enhance monitoring with regular drone or topographic surveys to track shoreline change. Undertake emergency dune works where required to stabilise vulnerable areas and provide early protection against erosion.
- Medium-term: Implement routine sand nourishment (“push-ups”) and low-profile dune reshaping to reduce overtopping and buffer storm impacts. After significant storms, additional sand placement may be required to restore dune volume and protect vulnerable fairways.
- Long-term: Plan for managed retreat of high-risk assets where erosion persists or accelerates. This may include realignment of facilities or relocation of vulnerable golf course infrastructure further inland. Decisions should be guided by updated hazard mapping and adaptive triggers.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Work closely with Waikato Regional Council, Thames-Coromandel District Council, iwi, and community stakeholders. Co-design approaches, integrating ecological restoration with cultural values, will ensure strategies are botheffective and socially acceptable over time.
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