Media Release #4
Tuesday 4 March 2025
Mangawhai Heads Slip repair media update #4 - Debris removed behind damaged clubhouse
Since the Christmas break, contractor Earth Stability Limited has been utilising the best weather to progress the works as quickly as possible. Access was created around the front of the damaged clubhouse and the debris pile has been removed with two excavators and road trucks. This has allowed the design of the lower sections of the rock face to be completed and in addition, allows the building insurer to design, submit a building consent, and procure the repair of the clubhouse itself.
Members from Te Uri o Hau, Mangawhai Heads Volunteer Lifeguard Service (MHVLS), Earth Stability Limited and Kaipara District Council met onsite earlier this month to inspect the now exposed back wall of the damaged clubhouse and witness the rock bolts being installed by the work crew.
Jess Costello, Chair of MHVLS, shared the good news that since the back of the building was exposed and recently reinspected, the building insurer had stated that the damage is consistent with what was seen from the inside, and the building is easily repairable.
Kaipara District Council Mayor Craig Jepson was pleased to see the considerable amount of progress made on the repairs.
“It’s fantastic news and a relief to hear that it’s a fairly straightforward fix for the building. We all just want to see the surf club back on its feet and operating normally. It’s been great to walk through the site and see how much work has already been done to repair the slip. I look forward to seeing them back in their clubhouse in summer.”
Shereen Worthington, member of Te Uri o Hau added:
It's been a pleasure working alongside the surf club and the construction team to successfully remove the debris behind the building in a sensitive area that is a special part of local cultural history.
Moving forward, the public will see two orange framed drill rigs, held by cables and ropes, working their way over the rock face drilling up to 8m long holes, which are then filled with large diameter steel bars, encased with high strength grout. These “rock bolts” hold the less stable rocks on the exposed face to the stronger rocks deeper within the slope. Approximately 300 of these will be installed over the next few months, followed by a mesh wire product being draped down over the slip area to hold the exposed rock and soil in place between each rock bolt. It is hoped that the slip repair will be completed by early winter, and that repairs to the damaged clubhouse can be undertaken directly after, with a target of the surf club being back into its building by Christmas 2025.
After the group inspected the slip repair works, a brief discussion was held regarding the repair of the damaged seawall (rocks and slope in front of the clubhouse) and boat ramp. Although this damage was not as significant as the slip behind the building, if not attended to, will have dire consequences for the club’s long-term security in the best location at the beach. Work has been underway since mid-2024 to provide a long-term solution that allows continual access during the worst weather events (all sand removed down to bedrock below – approx. 2-3m below today's beach height). Furthermore, a robust solution for repairing the seawall will ensure that the front of the clubhouse is protected from predicted sea level rise and storm surges.
Working alongside Northland Regional Council the surf club now has a design that can be consented and funds sourced for.
Media Release #3
5th December 2024
Mangawhai Heads Slip repair - Media update #3 - Works undertaken to date and a lookahead for works up to Christmas:
Earth Stability Limited has been busy working alongside key stakeholders over October and November with early slip repair works. These include the clearing of damaged vegetation from the weather event and undertaking geotechnical site investigations, both with the assistance of a helicopter for lifting. In addition, an archaeological investigation was undertaken by project archaeologist's and members from Hapu group, Te Uri o Hau, as the repair of the slip is within an heritage site.
Te Uri o Hau Environs welcomes the opportunity to collaborate with the Mangawhai Surf Club on the slip repair project. Shereen Worthington, Environs Kaitiaki, actively participated in the excavation of a minor sized trench above the slip of the Pā site behind the surf club. She quotes: “I am privileged to have been involved in the excavation to help get an understanding of how our tūpuna lived and the tools they used. This Pā is one of two sites significant to Te Uri o Hau that surround the Mangawhai Heads. As mana whenua, we are tasked as kaitiaki to protect and preserve any remnants from this Pā to uphold its heritage and integrity for the future generations to come.”
Looking forward to December, detailed design of the upper section of the slip will be near completion, and loose and unstable rocks and debris will be dropped in a controlled manner onto the existing debris pile below.
In addition to the repair of the slip on the Pa site, damage also occurred during the weather event to the existing seawall structure in front of the surf club house. 3 areas of damage that are posing a risk to public safety are planned to be temporarily repaired during the week 9th to 15th of December, prior to the busy holiday period. This repair, authorised by Northland Regional Council, will only be a short term measure to safeguard the public until a long term solution for the full seawall is designed and consented. For limited times during the repair, earthworks plant will be working on the beach and the public will be required to stay clear.
Meanwhile Mangawhai Heads Volunteer Volunteer Lifeguard Service has already begun patrolling for the season and looking forward to a great summer ahead. With the warmer weather starting we have had plenty of beach users out already enjoying our beautiful beach and estuary. We hope everyone has a wonderful, safe summer break.
Media Release #2
November 2024
"An update on the works on the Mangawhai Heads Slip:
The archaeological investigation is nearly complete. Over the next 3 weeks, vegetation clearance and geotechnical site investigation works will be undertaken. These activities require the use of a helicopter to lift out vegetation and to lift in and out a drill rig with associated equipment and materials. Please be aware that the grassed carpark at the heads reserve will be fenced off at times during the week for these works."
Media Release #1
6 August 2024
Way forward for Mangawhai Heads surf club and slip repair
Kaipara District Council and the Mangawhai Heads Volunteer Lifeguard Service have agreed a way forward to kickstart remediation and repair of the slip and surf club building.
Extreme weather events in 2023 during Auckland Anniversary weekend caused a major landslip at Mangawhai Heads. The slip, which is on council land, also damaged the Mangawhai Heads Surf Club building. The surf club has remained closed since the slip, with the lifeguard service utilising temporary facilities.
The cost to repair the slip has been estimated at around $1.9 million and no funding is available in the council’s future long term plan budgets. However, in late June 2024, Mangawhai Heads Volunteer Lifeguard Service received confirmation from Surf Life Saving New Zealand (SLSNZ) that external funding from central Government was available for the slip repair. The club’s insurance covers the cost of fixing the building.
To get the repairs started as quickly as possible, Kaipara District Council and Mangawhai Heads Volunteer Lifeguard Service have signed a works agreement.
At a council meeting in July, elected members gave direction to staff to start engaging with the community for the wider Mangawhai Heads reserve area, which could also include a lease on the reserve area for the surf club. Mangawhai Heads is subject to the Reserves Act 1977 and is one of many reserves covered under the Mangawhai Coastal and Harbour Reserves Management Plan (RMP).
Kaipara District Council Mayor Craig Jepson was pleased that the progress reflected the desires of all the elected members to support the surf club and that he was relieved to have found a way forward that worked for everyone involved.
“I love the surf club and the work they do, and I’m keenly conscious of how important they are to Mangawhai residents and visitors. I want to congratulate them and Surf Life Saving New Zealand for accessing this external funding, and getting the slip fixed without burdening our ratepayers. Getting a works agreement sorted now means they can crack on with repairs quickly and return to their normal premises.”
Jess Costello, Chair of Mangawhai Heads Volunteer Lifeguard Service says that the club’s main priority in getting back into a permanent club is to enable its membership to continue saving lives.
“Our number one focus is ensuring Mangawhai Heads is a safe beach for the public to visit. We are grateful for the support of Kaipara District Council, the Government, and SLSNZ for helping us to work towards getting back into a permanent base of operations.
“The club’s current situation, operating out of temporary facilities, is unsustainable. Our goal is to get into a permanent building as soon as possible to maintain membership numbers and improve our rescue response times, and to continue our training, education, and junior surf programmes. The works agreement has provided much-needed certainty around the future of our club. We look forward to possible future improvements to the Mangawhai Heads Reserve that will benefit the community, heritage and environment,” she says.
Surf Life Saving New Zealand CEO Steve Fisher says the signing of the works agreement demonstrates how multiple parties can work together to reach a positive outcome.
“We are extremely grateful for the support of both the Government and the Kaipara District Council in getting the cogs moving to rebuild the clubrooms at Mangawhai Heads. Mangawhai Heads is an extremely popular beach, and it is vital that we have appropriate facilities to operate out of as we progress our vision: that no-one drowns on our beaches. We thank the Government for its funding support, and the Kaipara District Council for enabling a pathway forward for construction work to begin,” he says.
Kaipara District Council Chief Executive Jason Marris says staff will continue to work closely with the surf club to progress the repairs and support them to remediate the slip and their building.
“Our next steps will be to start engaging with the community on the future medium to long term use of the greater Mangawhai Heads reserve area.”
