2009

28 January 2009: Haumoana resident and businessman John Bridgeman and Moynihan Coastal Consultants (MCCL) put forward a plan for three groynes to halve the flow of shingle going northward from Cape View Corner to protect Haumoana from further erosion costing $4.5 million. This is backed by findings of consultants Opus in 2006. HBRC now insist such a construction is contrary to its policy and commissions an Environmental Management Services (EMS) report to summarise findings of previous reports. 
02 April 2009:  The ‘Tonks Report’ recommends ‘managed retreat’ — essentially abandoning homes under threat — or residents paying for 90 percent of the cost of a field of 13 groynes at a total cost of $18.5 million.  The report was tabled to a closed meeting of both councils, stating the choice was now up to the communities. 
29 April 2009: Tonks Report presented to the Haumoana and Te Awanga communities explaining in detail the 13 groyne approach, costs to be recovered from Haumoana and Te Awanga residents through a targeted rate of $26,000-$30,000 a year per household. The meeting was skewed toward managed retreat, although few details provided. The general feeling is to reject both options.
4 May 2009: A meeting of affected home-owners called by local resident Ann Redstone heard ideas for alternative approaches. A committee was nominated to look further into a solution and to make submissions to the HDC and HBRC 10-Year Plans.
6 May & 26 May 2009: Committee members meet to discuss issues, decide on the name, Walking on Water (WOW) with support from Haumoana Residents & Ratepayers Association and the Te Awanga Progressive Association (TAPA).
4 June & 9 June 2009: WOW committee put together stage one and two of a proposal for five groynes and a seawall to protect the H21 houses most at risk as stage one of a full coastal protection plan.  Written and verbal submissions prepared for both councils. 
29 June 2009: WOW presents its submission to a public meeting at the Haumoana Community Hall and asks for a signed mandate from the communities of Haumoana, Te Awanga and Clifton before proceeding further. Over 250 attended at 90 forms were filled in 98 percent in favour of the WOW proposal.
29 June -03- July 2009: High seas batter the coast. The access road into Clifton Motor Camp fully eroded and closed; the future of the camp in doubt.
28 July 2009: Angus Gordon, landowner and proprietor of Clifton Café, leases land for a new access way to Clifton Motor Camp and the Clifton Marine Club, to be paid for by the Clifton Domain Board. The concrete and rubble haphazardly placed on the coastline by the previous Harbour Board and residents will also be cleaned up. The road ‘replacement’ is considered part of the ‘managed retreat’ approach to give way to the sea. Hard engineering is rejected.
28 July 2009: Mark Lawrence & Tracy Oliver, who received a notice from the HDC to remove the 500 tonne concrete block seawall around their property, receive a similar notice for removal from HBRC. 
5 August 2009: WOW representatives meet with Hasting Mayor Lawrence Yule, consents manager Mike McGuire and CEO Ross McLeod to discuss working with HBRC in a Joint Committee on Cape Coast erosion issues.
12 August 2009: Steve Moynihan (MCCL) presents WOW with his proposal for how a five groyne option will work along the coast.
13 August 2009: WOW invited to take part in the Joint Council Workshop. WOW asks for the 13 groyne option to be replaced with, WOW’s five-groyne stage one proposal on the table. It’s agreed to meet again once HBRC and WOW engineers have come to an agreement on a common model.
10 September 2009: WOW urges local councils to desist from any further legal action against the Mark Lawrence and Tracy Oliver in the ‘at-risk’ area until a solution on wider coastal protection is agreed on.
October 2009:  WOW advised by HDC that resource consent compliance costs for hard-engineering protection works are estimated at $540,000. WOW is uncomfortable with the suggestion it should pay $250,000.
2009: Tonks Report (EMS) claims managed retreat would be cheaper with a better certainty of outcome, than hard engineering. WOW does its own research proving managed retreat would be just as costly if not more so.