The Shoreline Adaptation Programme includes plans for 20 coastal areas across the region. We call these Shoreline Adaptation Plans.
SAPs look at how we can manage council-owned assets Anything owned by Auckland Council and Council Controlled Organisations (CCOs) such as park furniture, playgrounds, buildings, sports fields, carparks, and infrastructure like pipes, roads and footpaths. and land across Auckland’s 3200km of shorelines (beaches, cliffs, harbours and estuaries) to respond to coastal hazards and climate change over the next 100 years.
Visit Have your say on Auckland's shorelines for a detailed map of SAP areas and to have your say on current SAP consultations.
We develop each SAP in partnership with mana whenua Hapū and iwi with ancestral relationships to certain areas in Tāmaki Makaurau where they exercise customary authority. and with guidance from infrastructure providers, technical experts and coastal communities.
Working together in this way will help guide the way we manage our coastlines and adapt to the impacts of coastal hazards and climate change into the future.
Once completed, each SAP will outline a flexible, long-term coastal management response for council-owned land and assets in its area.
Each SAP includes ongoing consultation with local iwi and several months of local community engagement. This helps us understand how communities use and value coastal areas.
Each SAP follows a process that involves:
We have updated the names of some of our SAP strategies to use clearer language. This is based on feedback from communities across Tāmaki Makaurau.
We are still updating the names of other SAP strategies. Check the glossary of terms in each SAP if there is something you do not understand.
We apply four strategies to each SAP. These guide decisions around how to manage council-owned assets and land in each SAP area.
Let nature take its course without intervention. We apply this strategy to coastal areas where council-owned land and assets are not exposed to coastal hazards or catchment flooding. This strategy invests in hazard-risk management, like land stability, but does not invest in hazard protection structures.
Allowing for some maintenance to existing coastal defences Built structures that protect the coast., and ensuring we keep assets safe while accepting that processes like wind, waves and storms will change the position of the coastline over time. This strategy also identifies that some assets or uses (like footpaths, sports fields and car parks) may need to be moved to manage potential risks.
Defending council-owned assets and land from erosion Abrasion, detachment and removal of soil by rain, flowing water, wind, frost, temperature change or other natural or human-made causes. Erosion is a gradual process that causes soil to mix with stormwater to create sediment which may be harmful to the environment. and flooding, and preserving these areas (like walkways and sports fields) for their intended uses. We can do this by taking protective measures like building sea walls and planting dunes.
We need to plan more to manage risks to our land and assets. We must consider social, cultural and natural values in our plans to:
This could involve:
The Shoreline Adaptation Plan Volume 1 explains:
Download the Shoreline Adaptation Plan Volume 1.
SAPs are key to implementing the 2017 Coastal Management Framework and Te Tāuke-a-Tāwhiri: Auckland’s Climate Plan to help prepare Auckland and its coastal areas for ongoing environmental challenges.
Our online mapping platform shows coastal areas in Auckland that could be affected by erosion or instability.
Email shorelineadaptationplans@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz to find out more about this project.
