The swells forced the evacuation of 25 homes at the beach yesterday and have put local communities at increased risk if there are extra floods.
Walk on Water, a Hawke's Bay community group which lobbies Hawke's Bay Regional Council and the Hastings City Council for greater protection from beach erosion and large swells, said the council should build a series of groynes to stabilise the beaches.
The swells wiped out the natural build up of shingle which had previously protected homes from damage, Walk on Water spokesman Keith Newman told NZPA.
The massive waves -- which ranged between three and six metres -- had created a much "smoother beach" which meant waves would have direct access to the roadway should there be another storm, Mr Newman said.
Waves of about 6.5 metres at high tide crashed onto houses at Haumoana Beach on Sunday night. Early on Monday evening the swells were still heavy but waves had reduced to about two to three metres.
"If we got two more storms of this magnitude over winter this community will be at huge risk," said Mr Newman
He said another flood could wipe out the lines which supply power all the way down the coast and Haumoana's shopping centre would also be at increased risk.
The group had so far been unsucessful in lobbying the coucil to put in a series of concrete groynes, which would stabilise beaches at Haumoana, 10km north east of Hastings, Te Awanga and Clifton and prevent erosion.
It claims a groyne on the coastal end of the Tukituki River -- which runs through Haumoana -- has already stopped erosion in that area and they want up to seven more.
"It's a matter of national importance now," he said.
So far local councils had been unwilling to support the project because of the cost, which they put at $18 million.
Walk on Water disputed the councils' estimates and said a groyne field could be put in for under $7m and maybe as low as $3.5m.
