It is not to early to talk about retreating instead of rebuilding after Cyclone Gabrielle, according an environmental engineer who helped move an entire Australian town to higher ground after catastrophic flooding.

More than a dozen people died when a metres high wall of water flooded Grantham west of Brisbane in 2011.

A swift decision was made to up-sticks and essentially move it up a hill with the help of government and council funding.

The rebuild was complete within a year. Here people living in the West Auckland beach settlement of Muriwai are facing an uncertain future with many homes red stickered.

It is the same for flood victims in Esk Valley and other areas in Hawke's Bay and Tai Rāwhiti.

Environmental engineer Jamie Simmonds was project director for the Grantham move.

He's in Aotearoa now, and believes the retreat conversation needs to start sooner rather than later.