after severe storm damage

Another Pakiri landowner, Wayne Greenwood, said the beach was in a terrible state and locals could close the beach to the public if at least the inshore dredging wasn’t stopped.

“We’re sick of it. They haven’t stopped. We’ve got to make some noise and I’ll lead the way if necessary,” he said.

The storms have also wiped out fairy tern nesting sites at Pakiri and created huge sand ‘cliffs’ up to six metres high all the way along the beach to Te Arai and Mangawhai.

Save Our Sands spokesperson Ken Rayward said the storms had been relentless since September, but so had the sand mining, with the dredger coming inshore to take fresh sand pulled into the sea by bad weather, meaning there was nothing left to replenish the beach.

“It’s appalling what’s been allowed to go on,” he said. “They’re taking the lifeblood of the beach.”

He said he hoped council would reconsider the continuance of near-shore mining, the consent for which expired in 2020 and an application to continue was turned down by commissioners last year. McCallums are allowed to continue mining, however, until all applications and appeals have been heard and decided.

An eight-week Environment Court hearing is due to begin online on June 19, with Judge Jeff Smith presiding. McCallum Bros is appealing against decisions to decline consent for it to continue sand extraction inshore and far-shore, while a number of opposing groups are appealing against the granting of consent for mid-shore mining north of Te Arai.

Auckland Council principal specialist Alan Moore said that while McCallum Bros could continue to dredge inshore until all legal appeals had been determined, the consent did have a review condition and council was currently investigating whether to exercise that review.

“If we were to exercise this review, we would be able to change the conditions of consent,” he said. “However, it is important to note that a review does not enable a cancellation of consent.”

McCallum Bros said it would not be commenting until after the Environment Court decision was released.