Save Ocean Beach

Coastal erosion could force Dunedin's Kettle Park and nearby dunes to be abandoned to the sea, but only after millions of dollars are spent clearing potentially toxic industrial waste from an old landfill lying underneath.

The idea of a "managed retreat" from Middle Beach and Kettle Park is one of two recommendations to come from consultants Tonkin and Taylor, as the Dunedin City Council considers how to respond to coastal erosion threatening the area.

The suggestions came even as council staff yesterday warned of further erosion likely in the area over the next few days, with large swells having stripped sand from the beach and dunes between St Clair and St Kilda in recent days.

The Tonkin and Taylor report, made public yesterday, recommended a managed retreat or construction of an inland buried backstop wall to protect critical areas along the coast, over the next 10 to 50 years.

Initial estimates showed the work could cost between $8 million and $19 million, with any retreat including a clean-up of the old landfill underneath Kettle Park.

Members of the public were warned late last year to stay clear of the area's dunes after traces of arsenic, asbestos and other industrial chemicals from the landfill were detected.

The Tonkin and Taylor report was commissioned last year as part of council planning for the Ocean Beach Domain, which began in 2007 after severe storms caused significant erosion in the area.

The domain stretches about 4km from St Clair to Lawyers Head and includes Middle Beach, where the most serious erosion problems have occurred.

The report presented a draft management plan to be considered by councillors at next week's community development committee meeting, before being released for public consultation.

Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull declined to comment yesterday, saying he was yet to read the finished report.

Council Ocean Beach project team chairman Cr Colin Weatherall said consultation was still required before any decisions were made, which was likely to be several years away.

He would not discuss his personal views when asked about the recommendations or whether he considered the costs affordable.

"Certainly, at the moment, cost is a very large driver in council's budget numbers ... I don't have an opinion on the dollars. I'd rather see what the solution is first and then how we fund it secondly.

"We've got to come up with a practical solution long term that's good for Dunedin city and the community. Therefore, we need to listen to the community and what they want to do."

The report warned erosion had already exposed industrial waste from the landfill, and expected sea-level rise - bringing waves with greater energy - increased the risk of further erosion over the rest of this century.