A few months ago, Waikato Regional Council applied for and received a consent to remove mangroves from the Opoutere Harbour. This work is being done in conjunction with the local community who wanted action before their harbour went the same way as the Whangamata Harbour. There are also consents in place for marine paspalum and spartina.
The regional Council has also lodged an application for a consent to remove mangroves as a part of the harbour and catchment plant in Whangamata. This is presently in the notification stage and the submissions must be in by midday on 1st October. The application will then go through the process. It is envisaged that removal of mangroves would commence in April 2011 after the main holiday period has finished. This is to minimise the inconvenience although the local community do not see any action that manages mangroves as inconvenience. Virtually to a person, they say “Bring it on”.
Council is also in discussions with the local community in Tairua and Pauanui. The harbour there is under threat (most harbours and estuaries around the Coromandel are). The discussions are well underway and progress should be reasonable rapid.
I have been approached by concerned community members living in Whitianga and Matarangi. Same problem – same concerns. We will commence discussions in those areas as soon as we have the Tairua Harbour one nailed.
While it seems a long drawn out process – well it is. However, it must be remembered that a mere three years ago, we were confronted with a very obstructive council who were hellbent non prosecuting communities and they spent a lot of money in following that path. It is a pity that they did not spend the money (the best part of $1 million) on actually doing work. In the three years that I have been on Council, I have managed to turn that attitude around to a point where the Councillors were unanimous in their support for proper management of mangroves as a part of harbour and catchment plans. Not a bad effort for a “one trick mangrove show pony” in my humble opinion.
