Even though it is difficult to identify something positive in a major natural disaster, one New Zealand earthquake last year seems to have helped to avoid a local authority from spending millions of dollars in coastal defenses.
When the Kaikoura earthquake of November 2016 hit with a magnitude of 7.8, killing a couple of lives on New Zealand's south island, the local council in the Kaikoura resort town said that the New Zealand earthquake actually led to some positive results. It led to an uplift by 120 km (75 miles) of coastline between one to eight meters (3-26 feet). That made the earlier infrastructure that was at risk move away from sea erosion, Radio New Zealand reports.
Earlier, the council had thought that it would set aside millions of dollars to check the coastal erosion. The New Zealand earthquake had been a major problem for the various towns in the South Island's east coast. "Now with the uplift, certainly it has taken the issue away for a given period of time," according to Radio New Zealand.
The information on the coastal issue of the New Zealand earthquake is still being examined and studied by environmental scientists. A lot of plans are being drawn up to restore and repair the dangers. The estimated NZ$900m ($631m, £493m) worth of damage has been created on roads, businesses, and homes, according to BBC.
Still, the new coastline due to the New Zealand earthquake has roused a lot of resentment and resistance. One resident in Waipapa Bay, where a particularly "dramatic uplift" of eight meters has been noted, confirmed that the seafront is an "eyesore". It looks ugly, white and smelly according to the critics. There are a number of rock pools that seem to be only slimy and green, and "attracting some of the worst pools of the hideous mosquitoes you've ever seen," she told Radio NZ last month.
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