One of the last families in a Bay of Plenty settlement at risk from an extreme weather event has reluctantly agreed to leave as part of a managed retreat. But for them it will be a longer goodbye.
Most residents of Awatarariki at Matatā had already negotiated the sale of their properties to the Whakatāne District Council and will leave by March 2021.
Now two generations of the Whalley family - among the staunchest critics of the council's retreat process - have finally sealed a deal, giving them an extra year before they have to abandon their much-loved coastal home.
The process started in 2005 after torrential weather washed masses of debris down the flooded Awatarariki Stream, destroying dozens of homes.
Residents were initially allowed to return with plans for risk mitigation, but after spending seven years and $5 million investigating possible engineering solutions, the district council decided the risk to life on the Awatarariki fanhead was too great and it began a managed retreat programme.
The development of the managed retreat programme cost the district council a further $1.06m.
The managed retreat programme itself will cost $15m, to be shared equally by the government, the district council and the regional council.
"We were seeking a sunset clause to enable mum to stay in her family home," Rachel Whalley told Checkpoint.
"What we got was another year extension to our stay here. That was our bottom line for seeking settlement and that was what we agreed to do.
"It allows us time to spend with mum, it allows us time to be able to plan our move forward, to take all the special memories that she has here, and get another family home together somewhere else.
"We were asking for in perpetuity. It's a huge wrench to move from our home. And it's a huge wrench for mum… We didn't get it. So this is the next best thing.
"The whole process I believe has been unfair and that's why we were fighting it. This settlement has just been part of a very long process. And the way that it was set up was never going to be winnable, I think, for the community here.
"The council should have worked with the people here instead of against the people here, and setting aside all of that, it's not about the [Resource Management Act], it's not about the natural hazards, it's about how councils work with their communities.
"And that whole process has been really unfair for the community here."
The price they are getting for the property is market value according to the council's valuation in 2019, Whalley said.
Residents were strongly advised early in 2020 to voluntarily take up the council's offers, and they were warned Covid-19 could impact property values.
"Well now we found it has changed everything, but actually prices have gone through the roof. So last year's market value is nowhere near this year's market value for properties here.
"If people are prepared to take the risks of an area they know they're living in, then that's up to those people. For our family… we were prepared to stay here in perpetuity as well.
"We are staying on with conditions - an early warning system and evacuation plan - that's part of the conditions of staying on.
"But the whole scenario around this really hasn't been tested. We've been the guinea pigs in this situation."
"The government funded the retreat as an example to inform the community resilience workstream, but we can't contest it unless we're fully supported to.
"So it's not a two way thing so the council and the experts can say this, but it hasn't been truly tested so that's going to be for the next community in this situation to deal with.
"Everything that's come out of this has got future implications for people who are in similar situations that we have found ourselves in. And I would hate for anybody to go through what we have been through for the last three years, really fully hands-on, for the last 15 years since the event.
"It's not just a house, it's a family home. It's where we spend our time with our family, where memories are built.
"It's just a beautiful place in Matatā, and anybody who lives here will tell you that. Where we live has cultural significance to iwi here. I know that not everybody wants us to be down here but we've lived here for 30 years."
When they eventually do have to move, Whalley said they will stay local.
"We've got two more good summers ahead of us and we'll make the most of them."
