The Dunedin City Council could resort to an unauthorised budget overspend, if required, to address erosion residents say is threatening homes on Te Rauone beach, on Otago Peninsula, Mayor Dave Cull says.
His comments came after the Otago Daily Times reported residents' concerns that waves from passing cruise ships and container carriers were exacerbating erosion that had been attacking the beach for decades.
Port Otago has responded by preparing a consent application for a rock breakwater and beach replenishment project, but wanted $160,000 from the city council to help pay for the work.
Mr Cull said yesterday as a first step he would discuss the issue with council chief executive Paul Orders.
It appeared the council needed to be more "proactive", rather than waiting for a submission to the council's annual plan process, Mr Cull said.
"Clearly, you can't have real estate being washed away without at least considering whether you're prepared to sacrifice it.
"Some of this is private property, some of it is [council] reserve. Clearly, we have to look at it and, if it's happening at the pace some people are saying it is ... it's a serious issue."
Residents told the ODT the beach was losing up to 5m a year on average, but in the past year up to 20m in some places.
Mr Cull said he and Mr Orders would discuss co-operating with the Otago Regional Council and Port Otago to seek more information on the causes and the extent of the threat.
"We will want to have firm information about what is causing the problem, and how serious the problem is".
That would happen shortly, but the issue might then be considered during annual plan deliberations in May, he said.
However, the city council had the financial ability to to respond if required.
"If it is an urgent thing, we've just got to make an unauthorised overspend and get on with it, sometimes," he said.
Mr Orders could not bereached for comment lateyesterday.
