One of the first things a coastal manager must look for when establishing sand dune management is to ascertain the main cause of sediment loss and from there, make decisions on how to minimise the cause and how to restore sand dunes appropriately. In New Zealand the main cause of dune erosion has been the loss of sand vegetation and this means that sand dune management consists primarily of stabilizing dune systems through the “soft” technique of replanting and protecting native dune vegetation.
A coastal manager's initial task in establishing sand dune management is to determine the primary reason for sediment loss. Based on this, they will decide how to address the cause and restore sand dunes appropriately. In New Zealand, the main factor causing dune erosion has been the decline of sand vegetation; thus, sand dune management focuses mainly on stabilizing dune systems through techniques like reseeding and protecting native dune vegetation.