Questions remain on the Beach Road reinstatement and now it’s up to the public to decide.

Councillors agreed the community should be consultated to decide whether Beach Rd between Ōamaru and Kakanui should remain closed or be re-opened, at a Waitaki District Council meeting on Tuesday (November 26).

The road was closed for Project Reclaim (the removal of fly-tipped waste which was about to erode into the sea), to be carried out, and because the amount of waste removed was larger than anticipated, the road has remained closed.

Council Infrastructure manager Joshua Rendell said while “it was hoped that there may be sufficient budget within Project Reclaim to have the road reinstated . . . the finding of additional waste necessitated the use of the contingency of the project”.

Consultation will take place as part of the Long Term Plan nine-year budget discussions.

The scope of Project Reclaim never included the re-establishment of Beach Rd north, however, there was hope through some of the savings identified through the project there might be enough to reopen the road, he said.

Beach Road, southern site showing the road in the distance (top right). Photo: supplied.

Options presented included reconstructing Beach Rd north in a new alignment, closing the road, closing part of the road and realigning Awamoa Rd as a new intersection, or consulting with the community through the Long-Term Plan.

Realignment options have been priced at between $353,000 and $720,000.

Costs to retain coastal routes at risk of coastal erosion, such as Beach Rd, have been estimated to be $2,500,000 to $11,900,000 over a 50-year period.

"In developing its consultation document for the long-term plan, council had intended to consult the community on the approach to coastal roads, such as Beach Road north, and whether it would be most appropriate for council to invest in protecting these assets or take a managed retreat approach," Mr Rendell said.

“The issue isn’t necessarily one of efficiency or economics, it’s an issue of aesthetics and amenity for the community.”

Councillors queried the implications for water and wastewater infrastructure, funding options and opportunities, and whether sufficient consultation with landowners had taken place before agreeing to community consultation, including design and cost information as part of the 2025-2034 Long-Term Plan consultation.