Bluecliffs Residents in Limbo as Coastal Erosion Continues to Threaten Homes

• Bluecliffs residents face uncertainty as coastal erosion inches closer to their homes.
• Residents express frustration over lack of solutions despite ongoing threats from the Waiau River.
• Southland mayor acknowledges the difficult situation but offers limited support to property owners.

Residents of Bluecliffs, a small hamlet in Southland, are facing a precarious future as coastal erosion continues to threaten their homes. In February, the community was thrust into a state of emergency when the Waiau River began eroding the bank, inching dangerously close to their properties.

Despite a meeting in March involving key stakeholders in nearby Tūātapere, hopes for a viable solution soon began to erode alongside the riverbank. Attempts to address the issue, such as cutting into the river bar, were deemed unlikely to succeed, and other potential solutions carried significant costs.

Five months later, the situation remains unresolved, leaving residents uncertain about their future. Among them is Uli Sirch, who has lived on Bluecliffs Beach for around 30 years and runs a honey business from her property. Despite the risks, Sirch has no plans to leave, primarily because she believes it wouldn’t be feasible.

“Nobody would buy it (my house) in their right mind, because the threat is right there and nothing has been fixed,” she said. “My plan is that I stay here until things change dramatically.”

Sirch was outspoken during the February and March crises, even making headlines for refusing to evacuate when an old dumpsite needed to be cleared. Now, however, she says communication with the council has stalled, leaving her to hope for the best while preparing for the worst.

“If it becomes dangerous, I’m obviously going to do something about it. Start living in the shed, because it’s the closest to the road. Maybe [I’ll] have to buy a caravan. Maybe [I’ll] have to do something else. But at the moment, pretty much, I’m stuck.”

Her neighbour, Joan Redpath, who has lived in Bluecliffs since the late 1970s, finds herself in a similar situation. Unable to afford a move, she and her husband have resigned themselves to letting nature take its course.

“We’re over it. We’ve decided it’ll be what it’ll be. We can’t change it,” Redpath said. Despite losing 20-30 metres of land from their property in the past year, they are prepared to live out of their caravan or shed if necessary. “You couldn’t sell it (the house). It’s valueless. But that’s life.”

Southland mayor Rob Scott confirmed that the situation at Bluecliffs remains unchanged, though monitoring is ongoing. The council has offered some practical assistance, such as helping property owners explore the option of buying adjoining land, but support has been limited.

“We understand the property owners’ concerns and appreciate that they are in a difficult position, but other than the assistance that has already been offered there is little more that we as a council can do,” Scott said.