Mechanical Removal Of Mangroves -Tauranga Harbour

Consent received for mechanical removal of mangroves in Tauranga Harbour

For immediate release: 10 August 2009

Estuary Care groups in the western Bay of Plenty will be able to focus on other aspects of estuary restoration after the go ahead was given to mechanically remove mangroves from the Tauranga Harbour.

Environment Bay of Plenty has received resource consent from the Minister of Conservation to mechanically remove up to 92 hectares of mangroves from the harbour.

Estuary Care Leaders Forum Chair Kirsty Walker said they were overjoyed at the resource consent approval. “The decision is a long awaited validation of our work. We have received huge support from the community and Environment Bay of Plenty but ultimately it has been a struggle to manage mangroves and still find the time and energy to work on the really satisfying aspects of estuary restoration,” Mrs Walker said.

The consent period is for two years from 1 January 2010. Work will begin in January and is expected to take approximately four to five months for the 11 sites.

Environment Bay of Plenty Councillor Jane Nees also welcomed the resource consent decision.

“The fact that we are now looking at mechanical means of mangrove management is a huge landslide victory for community action in the Bay of Plenty but also for other regions in the North Island where mangroves are an issue,” Councillor Nees said.

“Considering eight years ago we were in a battle over whether we could even remove mangroves, amazing progress has been made in advancing the cause of pragmatic estuary management. This is a testament to the hard work and determination of the community groups,” she said.

Environment Bay of Plenty intends to use a low ground pressure machine with a mulching unit attached to clear the mangroves. The machine exerts approximately 2psi ground pressure - significantly less than a human footprint.

The mechanical removal is for areas that are already consented for removal by 10 Estuary Care groups across Tauranga Harbour.

Seventy submissions were received on the publicly notified consent, of which 66 supported the proposal and four were in opposition. Two independent commissioners were appointed to the hearing, one as an independent commissioner and one as a representative for the Minister of Conservation.

ENDS

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