ISSN 1172-6938

Issue 50 • July 2012

www.coastalsociety.org.nz

CONTENTS1 Unlocking Sediment

Records

4 NZCS Conference

4 NZCS ManagementCommittee

5 PCE to InvestigateFracking

5 Ocean Governance –Summary Report

5 Matt Skellern – A Tribute

6 Word from the DeputyChair

6 Coastal News Update

7 One Species’ Poison isAnother Species’ Meat

8 Launch of PoriruaHarbour and CatchmentStrategy and Action Plan

9 NZCS RegionalCoordinators

10 Integrating Coastal andMarine Biodiversity intoRegional Planning andManagement Frameworks

11 News from the Regions

13 Management CommitteeMembers – Close-up

14 Northland Oyster ShellProject Update

15 NZCPS 2010 – AnImplementation Update

15 National AquacultureStrategy

16 Corporate Members

16 Disclaimer

Te Hunga Takutai o Aotearoa

While relatively new, the NIWA-developedCompound Specific Stable Isotope (CSSI) datingmethod is already allowing scientists, planners,and decision makers to gain a fuller understandingof New Zealand’s coastal environment and to planand take action accordingly.

In 2009, as part of the ambitious LINZ-funded Bayof Islands (BOI) Coastal Survey 20/20 project, theCSSI method was applied to help determine whenand how sediment deposition had occurred in theregion.

NIWA Scientist Max Gibbs says, “We’re able toidentify the sources of catchment sedimentsdeposited in lakes, estuaries, and coastal watersbased on the fundamental principles of stableisotopes. In conjunction with radioisotope dating,the CSSI method has been extended to enable usto reconstruct past sources of soils eroded fromthe catchment and deposited in the Bay of Islandssystem.”

The radioisotope dating of sediment cores showsthat sediment accumulation rates (SAR) haveincreased tenfold or more since the mid-1800s.“As you’d expect, that rate has accelerated as thepopulation of the region has grown over the last~700 years and with the subsequent catchmentdeforestation and conversion to agricultural land

A New Looking Glass – UnlockingSediment Records to Understand the

Past and Plan for the FutureShelly Biswell, Editor

use, firstly by Maori for root crops, such as kumara,and later the development of pastoral lands fordairy and dry-stock, and orchards and horticulturein recent decades. With the CSSI dating methodwe’ve been able to more precisely identify soil-erosion sources that have persisted over time andto quantify that information in terms of land-usepractices.”

Effects of sedimentation

As sediment flows into coastal waters it can haveimmediate, harmful effects on the plants andanimals living there. Suspended sediment reduceswater clarity which can affect how animals searchfor food and reduces the amount of light reachingthe seabed which can cause seafloor plants to dieoff. It can also clog the gills of fish and reducethe ability of filter-feeding shellfish to feed. Heavysedimentation can also destroy crucial nurseryhabitat for species like snapper, trevally, tarakihi,and blue cod.

A tool for resource managers

While much is known about the potentialenvironmental effects of sedimentation, the CSSIdating method provides better information intosources and timing of sediment deposition –information that resource managers are already

Kaipara Harbour (Photo: NIWA)

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Coastal News No. 502

using when addressing land-use issues and targetingrestoration efforts.

NIWA Coastal Scientist Andrew Swales says, “Forexample, the Northland Regional Council is usingthe information gleaned from the CSSI datingmethod to identify areas in the Bay of Islands andWhangarei Harbour where catchment sedimentsare depositing and how the sources of soils mayhave changed over time. This new tool providesrobust information to identify the land-use practicesand sub-catchment areas that are substantiallycontributing to sedimentation of estuaries andcoastal waters. This will enable the council towork with landowners and land users to target itsresources and hopefully lead to a reduction in soilerosion from major catchment sources and ultimatelya reduction in adverse effects on receivingenvironments.”

The method

The CSSI dating method enables the stable-isotopeprofiles preserved in sediment cores to be unlockedto identify the original sources of the sediment,and coupled with radioisotope dating techniques,determine when these sediments were deposited.

The method is based on the concepts that:

• land cover is primarily defined by the plantcommunity growing on the land, and

• all plants produce the same range of organiccompounds, but with slightly different stable-isotope values because of differences in theway each plant species grows.

The compounds commonly used for CSSI analysisare natural plant fatty acids which bind to the soilparticles as labels called biomarkers. While theamount of a biomarker may decline over time, theCSSI value of the biomarker does not change. TheCSSI values for the range of biomarkers in a soilprovide positive identification of the source of thesoil by land-cover type.

Veronica channel at Russell – CSSImethod in action

Through the CSSI method scientists have beenable to identify when and how sediment depositshave entered into the Veronica channel at Russell.The sediment deposits identified for the ~2000years prior to human arrival are made up of soils

from the erosion of native forest and bracken. Thepresence of bracken in the deposits indicates thatnatural disturbance of the landscape, for examplefire or landslide, was fairly common even beforehumans inhabited the area.

“While the sediment accumulation rates werenowhere near the levels of today,” says Andrew,“it was a dynamic environment with periods ofincreased catchment soil erosion and run-off intothe sea.

“By the 1850s soils derived from potatoes and dry-stock pasture are detected which is consistent withhistorical records that show potatoes were introducedby European whalers in the late 1700s. By the1870s, sediment deposits contain stable-isotopesignatures that are indicative of dairying activities.”

NIWA scientists take coring samples in KaiparaHarbour. Photo: Rod Budd, NIWA.

The CSSI dating method is now being used in theMangemangeroa catchment to determine when amangrove forest colonised the estuary. Photos:Andrew Swales, NIWA.

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July 2012 3

Unlike many other parts of the Bay of Islands wherenative forests were lost by the turn of the 20thcentury, the estuarine deposits at this site werelargely composed of kauri-forest soils until the mid-1940s when they were replaced by exotic pine forestsoils and another sedimentation signature beganto appear in the record – citrus orchards.

There are a number of factors that scientists musttake into account when using the method, includingaccounting for the time lag between when land-cover changes are made and when those changesappear in sedimentation deposits. A time lag betweensoil erosion and deposition may depend oncatchment size, where the erosion is occurring inthe catchment, and the magnitude and frequencyof storms that cause run off.

Looking back, looking forward

The CSSI dating method has been recognisedinternationally and is revolutionising how scientistsinvestigate soil erosion and sedimentation processesin freshwater and marine environments. In July, Maxwill be presenting a paper on the extended CSSIdating method to the Food and AgricultureOrganization of the United Nations/InternationalAtomic Energy Agency international symposium onmanaging soils for food security and climate changeadaptation and mitigation in Vienna, Austria.

“Because the method can be used not only toidentify soil sources, but also to apportion their

relative contribution from different land uses incatchments,” Max says, “the method also has thepotential to support better land-management decisionmaking for sustainable food production in otherparts of the world.”

Andrew adds, “New Zealand’s coastal environmenthas proven to be an excellent place to develop themethod. Large-scale environmental changes, suchas catchment deforestation associated with thearrival of people, occurred much more recently herethan it did in many other parts of the world. Thishas allowed us to test under conditions where thereare fewer confounding factors and strongsedimentation signatures.”

NIWA is now using the method in the Mangemangeroacatchment in Auckland to not only determine changesin soil sources over time but also to reconstruct thedevelopment of a mangrove forest that colonisedthe estuary sometime between the 1860s and 1930s.Scientists hope to be able to reconstruct how theestuary responded to increased soil erosion and atwhat stage during the infilling of the estuarymangroves arrived and how quickly they spread. Abetter understanding of processes driving mangrove-habitat expansion will provide planners with insightsinto how to manage estuaries today.

Funding for developing the CSSI dating methodhas come from the Northland Regional Council andNIWA’s Innovation Seed Fund.

CoastalNews

Coastal News No. 504

NZCS Mission StatementThe New Zealand Coastal Society was inaugurated in 1992 “to promote and advance sustainable

management of the coastal environment”. The society provides a forum for those with a genuine interestin the coastal zone to communicate amongst themselves and with the public. The society currentlyhas 400 members, including representatives from a wide range of coastal science, engineering andplanning disciplines, employed in the engineering industry; local, regional and central government;

research centres; and universities.

Applications for membership should be sent to NZCS AdministratorRenee Foster (email: nzcoastalsociety@gmail.com).

NZCS Management CommitteeChairperson: Deirdre Hart deirdre.hart@canterbury.ac.nz

Deputy Chairperson/IPENZ Coordinator: Rick Liefting rliefting@tonkin.co.nz

Treasurer: Eric Verstappen eric.verstappen@tasman.govt.nz

Deputy Treasurer: Andrew Swales a.swales@niwa.co.nz

Membership & Partners Liaison: Harley Spence harley.spence@gw.govt.nz

Regional Coordinators: Rick Liefting rliefting@tonkin.co.nzJose Borrero jose@ecoast.co.nz

Conference Coordinator: Hugh Leersnyder hugh.leersnyder@beca.com

Education & University Coordinator: Christopher Gomez christopher.gomez@canterbury.ac.nz

Central Government Coordinators: Sarah McRae smcrae@doc.govt.nzAnn Sheridan ann.sheridan@mpi.govt.nz

Coastal News Coordinators: Amy Robinson amy.robinson@waikatoregion.govt.nzChristopher Gomez christopher.gomez@canterbury.ac.nz

Other NZCS Contacts

Administrator and Digest Coordinator: Renee Foster nzcoastalsociety@gmail.com

Coastal News Editor: Shelly Biswell shelly@biswell.net

20th Annual NZCS Conference

Making Waves, 20 Years and Beyond14-16 November 2012 • Royal NZ Yacht Squadron, 101 Curran St, Westhaven, Auckland

NZCS is now calling for papers with abstracts due: 27 July 2012. This year we will beparticularly interested in presentations that address one of the themes listed below:

• Coastal management in New Zealand – historical perspectives;

• Unplanned events and natural hazards;

• Management pressure in the 21st century;

• Competing for space – with a focus on the development of Auckland’swaterfront, infrastructure giants, the Hauraki Gulf and coastal environment;

• Integrated coastal management; and

• Coastal science – current themes and new directions.

Visit www.coastalsociety.org.nz to learn more or contact the Conference Committee ChairHugh Leersnyder at hugh.leersnyder@beca.com

NEW NEW ZEALAND ZEALAND COASTAL SOCIETYCOASTAL SOCIETYTe Hunga Takutai o Aotearoa

July 2012 5

CoastalNews

NZCS member MattSkellern passed away inTauranga on 7 May 2012.

As a coastal planner andadvocate, Matt will beknown to many in theNZCS community throughhis studies at theUniversity of Aucklandwhere he was writing his

thesis on international approaches to surf breakprotection, his work as a planner with Bay ofPlenty and Auckland councils, and his work with

Published in April 2012, OceanGovernance: The New ZealandDimension is a summary report fromthe Victoria University of Wellington’sInstitute of Policy Studies OceansGovernance project.

Written by visiting American marinepolicy expert Dr Mike McGinnis, theproject’s primary goal is to provideinterested members of the public andpolicymakers with a general overviewand a description of the types ofprinciples, planning tools, and policyinstruments that can be used tostrengthen and improve marinegovernance in New Zealand.

The report provides analysis on New Zealand’sexisting marine governance framework and factors

Ocean Governance – Summary Reportthat influence marine planning anddecision-making. Based on the project’sfindings, the report also makes twooverarching recommendations:

1. regional councils should developintegrative marine plans whereconflict between users and users-ecosystems is likely to occur in thefuture; and

2. a new role should be adopted forcentral government that supportsan ecosystem-based approach tointegrative marine planning anddecision-making.

A full report is to be published later in 2012.

http://ips.ac.nz/publications/publications/show/330

Matt Skellern – A Tributethe Young Planners at the New Zealand PlanningInstitute. A passionate surfer, Matt was alsoinvolved with the work of the Surfbreak ProtectionSociety and was dedicated to protecting NewZealand’s significant surf breaks.

Matt’s commitment and enthusiasm for NewZealand’s coastal environment will be greatlymissed.

Matt and Bailey Peryman wrote the cover storyfor Coastal News in April 2011 on the planningtools used for surf breaks. The cover photo forthe story (background) by Matt is of surfers atRocky Lefts, Paora Rd in Taranaki.

Initial scoping workbeing done onhydraulic fracturing isnow under officialinvestigation by theParliamentaryCommissioner for theEnvironment.

PCE Dr Jan Wright, saysthe preliminary workshows there is a needto examine the issuemore closely.

“The work that has been done by my office thusfar shows a substantive case for an officialinvestigation under the Environment Act.

“Over the next few months my staff and I will

PCE to Investigate Frackingconduct this investigation and produce a report toParliament.

“I realise this is a hugely contentious issue and Iwould hope to have a report tabled in the Housebefore the end of this year.”

Fracking (a common term for hydraulic fracturing)is the process of creating fractures in rocks androck formations by injecting fluid into cracks toforce them further open. The larger fissures allowmore oil and gas to flow out of the formation andthus be extracted.

Advocates of fracking point to the vast amounts offormerly inaccessible hydrocarbons the process canextract, whereas skeptics highlight the potentialenvironmental impacts, including contamination ofground water, risks to air quality, the migration ofgases and fracking chemicals to the surface, andsurface contamination from spills and flowback.

Dr Jan Wright, ParliamentaryCommissioner for the

Environment.

Photo: LindaThompson.

CoastalNews

Coastal News No. 506

Coastal News now delivered in PDFformat

At the 2011 AGM, members voted that the defaultdistribution of Coastal News will be in PDF formatand delivered to members via email. Whenregistering with NZCS, members will still havethe option to have print copies of Coastal Newsdelivered, however, if this option is not selectedmembers will only receive the environmentallyfriendly PDF version.

Contributions

We welcome contributions for each issue of

Coastal News

Kia ora and welcome to the second edition ofCoastal News for 2012, this time from your DeputyChair. I am sure you are all wondering what hashappened to the first half of 2012! The reason I amdoing this piece, rather than Deirdre, is to focuson regional events, having been the NZCS RegionalCoordinator for a number of years, but firstly aquick update on NZCS happenings.

I attended the annual IPENZ forum on behalf ofNZCS earlier this year. As most of you will know,NZCS is a Technical Interest Group (TIG) of IPENZ.Essentially IPENZ undertakes the day-to-dayadministration of NZCS in terms of financials, mailouts, and the email digest. However, IPENZ alsoprovides other services that NZCS uses and we areworking closely with them to ensure we get themost of your IPENZ administration fee.

The second NZCS meeting for 2012 was held inWellington at the Greater Wellington Regional Councilbuildings. The new recruits on the NZCS committeeare bedding in very well and are providing valuablefresh eyes to the NZCS tasks at hand. UnfortunatelyDenise Young, our DOC representative and a CentralGovernment Coordinator on the committee, can nolonger offer her time on the committee. In her placewe have Sarah McRae from DOC. So thank you verymuch Denise for your valued input to NZCS andwelcome Sarah to the NZCS committee.

One of the main outcomes from the meeting wasto facilitate a special issue of Coastal News on theRena disaster. The special issue will collate viewsfrom a cross section of people involved in the initialemergency response and the continued clean-upprocess. The aim is to provide insight into thegrounding and identify processes that worked well,could be improved, or were completely lacking.Other tasks the NZCS committee are working onare progressing well. We aim to make someannouncements in the months ahead and at theconference.

Word from the Deputy Chairby Rick Liefting

Speaking of conferences, our 20th annual conferencein November is also progressing well under theleadership of Hugh Leersnyder and his enthusiasticteam. Hugh and his team have been working hardand looks like it will be another great event!However, a successful conference also depends onyou with your attendance or as a presenter. Soplease book this conference in your diary and weencourage you to present. See the conference adon page 4.

As Hugh is spending a lot of his time on conferenceorganising, his shared role of NZCS RegionalCoordinator will be taken over this year by me. SoJose and I will be helping the coordinators aroundthe region to organise events over the year. In thepast, NZCS has facilitated local and internationalspeakers to do roadshows around the regions,which were successful. However, our main issue isidentifying who may be available.

So if you know of a visiting/local scientist orpractitioner who is keen to see a bit more of NewZealand in lieu of presenting to our members,please let Jose or I know. We can then work withthe coordinator(s) in the regions to organise theevent. Helping out with regional events is also agreat way to be more involved in the NZ coastalcommunity, again contact Jose, your coordinator,or myself to get involved. Feel free to suggest anidea for an event in your region.

Unfortunately we have lost our coordinators inTaranaki and Southland. Thanks so much ErinZydervelt and Ken Murray for all your input overthe years in your roles. Emily Roberts is the newcoordinator for Taranaki, welcome aboard Emily!However, we do need a replacement for Ken inSouthland, any volunteers?

All the best for the rest of the year. T he next NZCScommittee meeting is October 19, please let anyof the committee know if there is anything youwould like raised.

Coastal News. Please contact Shelly Biswell atshelly@biswell.net if you’d like to submit a newsbrief, article, or have content suggestions. Thesubmission deadline for the next issue is 5September 2012.

Lessons learnt from the Rena –upcoming NZCS publication

The NZCS management committee welcomesmembers to forward through ideas for a futurepublication on lessons learnt from the Rena.Contact the NZCS Administrator atnzcoastalsociety@gmail.com for more information.

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July 2012 7

Estuaries are transitional ecosystems connectingthe ocean with inland waters and as such they arefrequently perturbed by natural causes. Few speciescan handle the variable physicochemical conditionsin estuaries, so species diversity is typically low.We understand high species diversity supportssuccessful ecosystem functioning but estuaries aredifferent; they successfully function because oftheir low species diversity. In other words, lowspecies diversity is not a problem in these systems,it’s an important feature.

Species populating estuaries can achieve highpopulation densities because of reduced competition.Frequent variation in seawater temperature, salinity,and pH, for example, does not present stress forthem but an advantage; the stress is in having novariation in these and other physicochemicalproperties. The dynamic environment of thesespecies, however, is not only shaped by naturalprocesses but increasingly by humans.

Detecting human-induced changes in estuaries isdifficult because the response of these systems tosuch changes is either very similar to that ofnaturally occurring changes or it does not changestructural ecosystem properties such as speciesdiversity. For example, an estuary naturally enrichedwith organic matter will support organisms andspecies assemblages very similar to that of anestuary enriched by human activity. This difficultyof detecting “anthropogenic stress”, which Elliottand Quintino (2007) termed the “Estuarine QualityParadox”, challenges ecologists in their studies ofthe effects of ever-growing human populations onestuaries.

One approach is to advance our abilities to detecthuman-induced changes to estuaries and to predicttheir effects on estuarine ecosystem functioningby addressing the mechanisms that cause ecosystemresponse. Rather than describing changes inecosystem properties, this approach focuses onecosystem processes such as the cycling of nutrientsin sediment and the water column, the exchangeof gas and solutes between sediment and the watercolumn, or the recruitment of sediment-inhabitingspecies.

In this context, our Marine Research Group ofAuckland University of Technology, in collaborationwith Conrad Pilditch of the University of Waikato,studies the mechanisms that link a particularperturbation, the settlement of suspended terrestrialsediment, with the response of sediment-inhabitingspecies. In particular, we study how terrestrialsediment deposits affect benthic recruitment—oneof the ecosystem processes that controls theassemblage of sediment-inhabiting species and

One Species’ Poison is AnotherSpecies’ Meat

Aysha Hohaia and Kay Vopel, Marine Research Group, School of Applied Sciences,Auckland University of Technology

important functions of the sedimentary ecosystem.

Deposition of fine terrestrial sediment is, as oxygendeficiency, a natural feature of many estuariesworldwide. Coastal urbanisation, however, canincrease the supply of terrestrial sediment to estuariesby orders of magnitude potentially leading to unseen

Figure 1: Researcher Aysha Hohaia checks on aworking section of a seawater flume that has fourinserted sediment cores and a microelectrode inplace to measure pH and oxygen pore water profiles.The surfaces of the first and fourth sediment coreshave been treated with terrestrial clay.

Figure 2: Upper Panel – Photograph of oneexperimental sediment core showing juveniles ofthe bivalve Macomona liliana that were droppedonto the sediment surface to observe their buryingbehaviour. Lower Panel – Underwater photographof the surface of a terrestrial clay deposit showingtraces of M. liliana juveniles.

CoastalNews

Coastal News No. 508

“Good things take time” according to the familiarMainland Cheese ad. The formal development ofthe recently launched Porirua Harbour andCatchment Strategy and Action Plan has taken fouryears and community and multi-agency partnershipsto produce a widely endorsed plan for the recoveryof Porirua Harbour.

One hundred and fifty years of progressive harbourand catchment modification since Europeanhabitation have left its mark on the largest estuaryin the lower North Island. Eighty-thousand peoplecurrently live in the harbour catchment. With majorprojected population growth and associateddevelopment in the harbour catchment expectedin coming years, the anthropogenic impacts on theenvironment were expected to be exacerbated ifno protection and restoration plan were in place.

Led by Porirua City Council, Ngati Toa Rangatira,Wellington City Council (70% of the Porirua Streamcatchment is in Wellington City) and GreaterWellington Regional Council have partnered witha range of other local and regional agencies toprepare the strategy which was released on 24April 2012.

Addressing key issues

Three key issues confront the harbour: excessivesedimentation rates, excessive pollutants, andecological degradation. The strategy objectivesaddress each issue with measurable targets anda series of prioritised actions aimed at reversingcurrent trends.

Reducing sedimentation rates is identified as thesingle most critical goal. Sedimentation is a keytransporter of contaminants, reduces water clarity,smothers estuarine ecology, and reduces flushingcapacities. Sediment reduction will provide thegreatest co-benefits for creating a healthier harbour.

A target sedimentation rate for the estuary hasbeen set at 1 mm/year by 2030 – significantly lessthan the current 5+ mm/year plus. This is the first

Good Things Take Time – Launch of PoriruaHarbour and Catchment Strategy and Action Plan

Keith Calder, Porirua Harbour Strategy Coordinator

time a limits-based approach to resourcemanagement has been undertaken in New Zealand.Strategy partners are working with NIWA and DrMal Green in developing a source-to-sink model.The model will help identify and prioritise estuarylocations and sub-catchments for remediation withthe aim of meeting the target sedimentation rate.

Greater Wellington Regional Council with assistancefrom Wriggle Coastal Ltd has established anextensive monitoring programme and baseline datato gauge long-term progress towards meetingsediment, pollutant, and ecological improvements.

ecosystem responses. In a recent experiment withone particular sediment-inhabiting bivalve species,we investigated if and how millimetre-thick depositsof terrestrial sediment change the sediment chemistryand how such change affects the burying behaviourof this species’ juveniles. We found that evenmillimetre-thin deposits of terrestrial sedimentdecreased the pore water oxygenation of theunderlying estuarine sediment. We then asked ifand how this decrease affects the burying behaviorof juvenile recruits arriving at the surface of thedeposit.

Our experiment is not the first of its kind – otherstudies have investigated effects of terrestrial

sediment deposition. A first, however, is our detailedunderstanding of how deposits of terrestrial sedimentmodify the sediment chemistry, and the conclusionfrom our behavioural observations: the burial ofour test individuals does not seem to be affectedby our experimental perturbation. Not an unexpectedresult: one species’ poison is another species’ meat.

Reference

Elliott, M., & Quintino, V. (2007). The EstuarineQuality Paradox, Environmental Homeostasis andthe difficulty of detecting anthropogenic stress innaturally stressed areas. Marine Pollution Bulletin,54(6), 640–645.

Keith Calder during a harbour clean up. Photo:Fairfax NZ.

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July 2012 9

Strategy stakeholders partnered early with NZTransport Agency and the Transmission GullyMotorway team to jointly develop a harbour modelthat has become the basis of much of thesubsequent, more detailed catchment/harbourmodelling. Modelling was undertaken by consultantsSKM and DHI Water & Environment.

NIWA is also currently completing an assessmentfor seagrass restoration for the harbour which willbe a key element in ecological restoration.

Next steps

Priority activities in implementing the harbourstrategy over the next 12 to 24 months will include:

• preparation and implementation of a prioritisedwhole-of-catchment revegetation plan and anestuary revegetation plan;

• major sewer and stormwater upgrades;

• development and implementation of acommunity and business education plan; and

• a review of regulatory and non-regulatoryprovisions governing land development withinthe harbour catchment.

Porirua City Council will continue funding a full-time dedicated Porirua Harbour Strategy Coordinatorposition to oversee strategy implementation. Mostof the planned actions have funding provisionsincluded in the current local authority long-termplans, which has been a critical timeframe targetfor the completion of the strategy.

Four years in the making, strategy developmenthas had a deliberate networking, partnering, andconsultation phase to ensure maximising communityand agency education and engagement. This hasresulted in an attractive, easily read, comprehensiveand widely supported document and plan of action.

“It may not happen overnight, but it will happen!”

Pauatahanui Saltmarsh. Photo: Keith Calder.

This is certainly the case with seeing any tangibleresults from the implementation of the new strategy.The councils, runanga, and other partners arecommitted for the long term. One hundred and fiftyyears of environmental abuse will not be undoneovernight, but with an aspirational yet realisticstrategy there is confidence a significant cornerhas been turned in the management of PoriruaHarbour and catchment.

The Porirua Harbour and Catchment Strategy andAction Plan and its associated detailed action plancan be viewed and downloaded at www.pcc.govt.nz,keyword: harbourstrategy. Contact Keith on (04)237 3598 or kcalder@pcc.govt.nz with any questions.

Harbour view. Photo: Porirua City Council.

NZCS Regional CoordinatorsEvery region has a NZCS Regional Coordinator who is available to help you with any queries about NZCSactivities or coastal issues in your local area.

North IslandNorthland Michael Day michaeld@nrc.govt.nz

André Labonté labonte@xtra.co.nz

Auckland Hugh Leersnyder hugh.leersnyder@beca.com

Waikato Amy Robinson amy.robinson@waikatoregion.govt.nz

Bay of Plenty Reuben Fraser reuben.fraser@boprc.govt.nz

Hawke’s Bay Neil Daykin Daykin@hbrc.govt.nz

Taranaki Emily Roberts emily.roberts@trc.govt.nz

Wellington Iain Dawe iain.dawe@gw.govt.nz

South IslandUpper South Island Eric Verstappen eric.verstappen@tdc.govt.nz

Canterbury Justin Cope justin.cope@ecan.govt.nz

Otago Mike Hilton mjh@geography.otago.ac.nz

Southland TBC

CoastalNews

Coastal News No. 5010

Editor’s note: This article adapts and updates theideas contained within what was voted the bestpresentation at the NZCS 2011 conference in Nelson.

At the Nelson conference I suggested that thecoastal management community needs to adaptlessons learned over decades of terrestrial biodiversitymanagement and apply these to the coastal andmarine environment. Regional councils have a clearresponsibility and mandate under the RMA (s30)to protect indigenous biodiversity. However, becauseof the disparate nature of marine managementresponsibilities, effective management of high-valuebiodiversity sites and habitats will require methodsto integrate management tools from a range ofagencies.

In late 2010, Greater Wellington Regional Councilbrought together staff from across the organisationto form a dedicated biodiversity department. This,together with council approval of a Greater WellingtonBiodiversity Strategy in 2011, presented opportunitiesand challenges to better manage coastal and marinebiodiversity. The biodiversity department operationalplan has recently been approved by the counciland new teams and work programmes have beendeveloped to achieve the goals and actions outlinedby the strategy. Throughout this process internationalbest practice principles have been applied.

The goals of the biodiversity strategy

The purpose of the strategy is to set out a frameworkthat will guide Greater Wellington’s activities thatprotect and manage indigenous biodiversity in theWellington region for the 10 years ending in 2021.Three strategic goals have been set:

• Greater Wellington Regional Council demonstratesleadership in biodiversity management;

• high-value biodiversity areas are protected; and

• regional ecosystem functions are maintainedand restored.

The strategy identifies key actions with timelinesand assigns responsibility for these to the relevantdepartments.

Existing council activities and functionsimpact on biodiversity

As the strategy was developed council functionsand activities that impact on biodiversity wereidentified. This process showed that many councilactivities and functions affect biodiversity, but oftenlack any methods to assess or mitigate theseimpacts. In addition, within the current planningand management framework, long-term protectionof sites with high biodiversity values is difficult toachieve. Whilst knowledge of terrestrial and estuarineecosystems in the Wellington region is relativelyadvanced, locating information on marine ecosystemshas proven very difficult.

Integrating Coastal and Marine Biodiversity intoRegional Planning and Management Frameworks

Harley Spence, Team Leader, Biodiversity Department, Greater Wellington Regional Council

Integrating biodiversity into future councilactivities and functions

Programmes from biosecurity, policy, parks, landmanagement, and environmental education havebeen re-assigned to a new biodiversity department.In the new structure, teams are tasked withimplementing specific biodiversity focusedprogrammes and working with internal and externalstakeholders to improve regional biodiversityoutcomes. There are clear opportunities to applyinternationally recognised biodiversity managementtechniques in both the statutory planning and non-statutory operational space. For example, GreaterWellington’s regional plan is currently in the reviewprocess and this is an opportunity to incorporatelessons gained over the last decade as our planningand management frameworks are updated.

Developments since the Nelsonconference

In the last few weeks Greater Wellington has receiveda NIWA report highlighting sites and habitats ofsignificance in the coastal marine area (mean highwater springs (MHWS) to the 12-mile limit). Thereport uses the same policy criteria to define“significant” sites that were used for the terrestrialenvironment. This consistency will be important asthe regional plan development process progresses.The NIWA report, along with data collated fromDOC, MPI, and others, will enable the regional planteam to replace the “blue pixel” from the previousplan and to develop rules and methods to protectthese areas under the RMA.

The council has also acknowledged the need tocollaborate with other agencies and stakeholders.Staff at the regional council have begun thisengagement process. An initial workshop will beheld and from there we plan to establish a moreformal forum to address a range of issues (includingbiodiversity) in the Wellington coastal managementarea. I look forward to reporting future developmentsin this area.

Three dimensional habitats like kelp forests haveparticularly high biodiversity values. Photo: NOAA– posted to Flickr.com Creative Commons. 

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July 2012 11

News from the RegionsWaikato Regionby Amy Robinson, Regional Coordinator

Whitianga Coastal Futures project

Whitianga Coastal Futures is a recently set upcollaborative project between Thames CoromandelDistrict Council and Waikato Regional Councilinvestigating short-, medium-, and long-termsolutions for the coastal erosion hazard in Whitianga.Presently the project team is completing a draftreport that assesses information held from previousreports and studies that have investigated thecoastal processes driving shoreline change, andconsidered options for management of theassociated risk to assets.

The Whitianga Coastal Futures project aims to workwith the community to develop and implement astrategy for managing coastal hazards at Whitiangawhile protecting (and where possible enhancing)economic, environmental, social, and cultural valuesof the local coastal environment for the wholecommunity. The intention of the report is to providebackground information and promote discussionbetween the councils, beachfront property owners,and the wider community.

Mangrove removal – Whangamata Harbour

Resource consent was recently granted by theEnvironment Court to the Rivers and CatchmentServices Group of Waikato Regional Council for theremoval of mature mangroves from the WhangamataHarbour. A total clearance area of 22.9 ha wasapproved by both hand and mechanical methods.The consents also provide for the stockpiling andburning of removed mangroves in the coastal marinearea and ongoing hand clearance of seedlings fromthe whole harbour.

The consents have been granted using an adaptivemanagement approach, whereby Waikato RegionalCouncil as the consent authority has the ability tostop any further removal should the effects proveto be more than minor. Important considerationsin the decision were the effects on banded rail asan at-risk species. Impacts have been mitigated byleaving landward buffer zones in known rail areasand the development of a predator control plan

for the upper harbour. Mangrove removal is likelyto commence later this year.

Bay of Plenty Regionby Reuben Fraser, Regional Coordinator

Coast Care

Every second summer Coast Care staff and contractorsaround the Bay of Plenty take stock of the dunesin a rapid coastal inventory. We measure things likethe height and slope of the dunes, the presence ofnative and weedy plants, vehicle access points,signs of rabbit, and other issues affecting dunerestoration. We measure more than 750 plots, each200 m in length and the width of the dunes.

Here is a brief summary of results comparing2008–2009 with 2010–2011. The full report will soonbe available on Bay of Plenty Regional Council’swebsite (www.boprc.govt.nz).

Spinifex coverage increased from 64 to 73 per centon 156 km of sandy coast, and pingao increasedfrom 13 to 17 per cent. The biggest increases ofSpinifex coverage were seen on Otamarakau Beach,and pingao on Papamoa Beach.

Observed increases of native dune plant coveragewere coupled with an overall decrease in the presenceof signs of rabbit on the foredune.

An overall decrease in the impacts of vehicles onthe foredune was seen across Bay of Plenty beaches,

Resource consent has been given for the removalof mature mangroves from the WhangamataHarbour. Photo: Waikato Regional Council.

Coast Care staff and contractors conduct a biennialrapid coastal inventory. Photo: Bay of PlentyRegional Council.

In 2010-2011 an estimated 58 per cent of Bay ofPlenty coastline had some level of Coast Care groupinvolvement. Photo: Bay of Plenty Regional Council.

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Coastal News No. 5012

with Papamoa Beach showing the greatest decline.The 2010–2011 survey showed that WhakataneDistrict Council beaches still possessed the highestnumber of vehicle access points through theforedune, although the efforts of care groups atOtamarakau and Pikowai beaches have seen asignificant decrease in vehicle impacts.

Coast Care group participation has increasedthroughout the Bay of Plenty with 58 per cent ofthe coastline having some level of Coast Care groupinvolvement in 2010–2011 compared to 50 per centin 2008–2009.

2010–2011 survey results indicate that a totalforedune area of 24,144 m2 could be plantedwithout intervention, an overall decrease of 59 percent from 2008–2009. This decrease may reflectCoast Care group involvement and/or erosion ofthe foredune, which can leave steep dune areasthat do not allow for good practice revegetationtechniques.

An overall increase was seen in the distance fromthe toe of the dune to the high-tide mark; withWaiotahi Spit showing the greatest average increaseof 32 m. Whakatane District Council beaches werethe only district to show a significant change indune profile (height and slope).

Matakana Island was surveyed for the first time in2010–2011 and showed an overall 84 per centcoverage of Spinifex. Overall pingao coverage waslow at just three per cent. Weed species were foundalong the entire length of the coastline and rabbitsign was found on 68 per cent of the foredune.Vehicles were found to impact on six per cent ofthe coastline.

For more information on these results, or the CoastCare Bay of Plenty programme, please contact theCoast Care Coordinator on 0800 884 880.

Port of Tauranga dredging

The Environment Court has released a decisiongranting consent (and recommending to the Ministerof Conservation to grant consent) to the dredgingof shipping channels in Tauranga Harbour. Thedecision has been appealed to the High Court byNgati Ruahine, one of the three iwi groups thatappealed the regional council’s initial decision.

Tier II Oil Spill Response Plan

The Bay of Plenty Regional Council is reviewingthe Tier II Oil Spill Contingency Plan. The BOPRCis responsible under the Maritime Transport Act torespond to Tier II (or regional response) oil spillsthat occur within the coastal marine area of theBay of Plenty. Tier II spills are spills that are beyondthe resources of the persons who have caused thespill to appropriately respond to. In the Bay ofPlenty a Tier II response is required as soon as oilcontacts water in the coastal marine area. If thespill is beyond the capacity of the BOPRC to respondto, it becomes a Tier III (national) response and isthe responsibility of Maritime New Zealand. Untilrecently the Rena response was a Tier III response.

A Tier II Oil Spill Contingency Plan was written in2002. Its purpose was to establish a strategy andoperation guidelines to enable BOPRC to respondto Tier II oil spills. The plan is outdated and is duefor review. It will look at things like:

• priority areas for protection;

• response techniques;

• response organisation;

• contingency plans of adjacent regions; and

• the Bay of Plenty Regional Coastal EnvironmentPlan.

Port and Harbour Safety Code – Review ofTauranga Harbour Navigational RiskAssessment

The Bay of Plenty Regional Council has engagedMarico Marine to undertake a review of the 2006Tauranga Harbour Navigational Risk Assessment.

The purpose of the 2006 assessment was to identifykey hazards associated with navigation of merchantor other vessels and smaller craft in the area boundby the Tauranga Harbour and its pilotage limits.After ranking these in order of relative risk, measureswere recommended for management of heightenedrisk. The scope included assessment of incidentand near-miss data, stakeholders’ views aboutnavigational safety, Tauranga Harbour’s trade andcommercial activities, weather conditions affectingthe region, and organisational capability.

The purpose of the review is to assess changes ofrisk, as well as management effectiveness and toidentify if new navigational risks are emerging. Itsscope again covers the extents of Tauranga Harbourand its pilotage waters, therefore issues associatedwith the Rena grounding do not form part of thisreview.

Marico is already in the process of conductingvarious stakeholder meetings and the BOPRC isinviting views about harbour safety, which will beinput into the review of the navigational safetyrisk assessment.

To learn more or to discuss any navigational safetyissues with BOPRC, please feel free to email meat reuben.fraser@boprc.govt.nz.

Hawke’s Bay Regionby Neil Daykin, Regional Coordinator

Joint resource consents for a new seawall

Resource consents to authorise the constructionof a new seawall in front of an existing house inHaumoana were granted by a joint Hawke’s BayRegional Council and Hastings District Councilhearing panel in March. The consents authorisethe construction of an 18-m long steel sheet pileseawall, 2.5 m seaward of an existing seawall ofsimilar design. The consents were granted for aperiod of 10 years, and are subject to consentconditions. Notable conditions include therequirement that the consent holder remove thewall materials in the event that the wall fails, and

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July 2012 13

that the consent holder mitigate the effects of theseawall on neighbouring properties by importingand depositing 10 m3 of gravel in front of theneighbouring seawall each year.

Marine oil spill exercise

The Hawke’s Bay Regional Council ran a marine oilspill exercise in the Napier Inner Harbour and atthe Port of Napier on 22 March 2012. There weretwo aspects to the exercise on the day:

1. the deployment of booms and equipment inthe Napier Inner Harbour to protect the marinasand estuary environments in accordance withthe Hawke's Bay Regional Council Tier II Plan;and

2. to develop and implement an appropriateprocedure to install and then deploy a newrapid deployment boom from the purposeprovided container at the Port of Napier acrossthe port entrance – this new boom will ultimatelyensure a quick response in the port in the eventof a real oil spill.

Local senior New Zealand Fire Service representativesalso attended the exercise which provided anexcellent opportunity to clarify roles in such aresponse. Staff worked together to draft an incidentaction plan using the facilities onboard NZFS’scommand vehicle. HBRC staff attendance wasappreciated on the day as they had just come off12-hour rotating shifts due to heavy rainfall in thepreceding days.

Regional On-Scene Commander Bryce Lawrence saidit was a really useful exercise particularly at theport and a change in the weather had given theteam another opportunity to exercise options forresponse. A second small exercise is planned at theport to finalise procedures on the setting of thenew boom.

Ann Sheridan

Ann is a member of theMinistry for Primary IndustriesAquaculture Unit, which isbased primarily in Nelson.The Aquaculture Unit is theGovernment’s principal advisoron marine and land-based

aquaculture. Ann is the contact point within theAquaculture Unit for regional councils andapplicants and worked closely with regionalcouncil staff from around the country to helpprepare for the implementation of the October2011 aquaculture reforms. Her focus of work nowis on assisting councils and others with coastalplanning for aquaculture growth in priority regions.

Ann has a Bachelor of Resource Studies with anecology major from Lincoln University and iscurrently taking the RMA Commissioner “MakingGood Decisions” training. Her varied workbackground includes resource managementadvisor positions with Te Tau Ihu (top of theSouth) iwi, work for DOC in the Marine ProtectionSection, other DOC roles for Golden Bay andCanterbury, and for the Greater Wellington RegionalCouncil. Ann is a keen sea kayaker and scubadiver. She is happy to be a new member of the

Management Committee Members – Close-up

management committee and serves as a CentralGovernment Coordinator on the committee.

Harley Spence

Harley is a Team Leader in theBiodiversity Department atGreater Wellington RegionalCouncil. Harley has beeninvolved in the coastalmanagement and ecologicalrestoration fields since the

early 1990s. His Master’s degree in Resources andEnvironmental Planning assessed the intricaciesof sustainable coastal management and he hasbeen working on those challenges ever since! Aconsultant for over a decade, he particularlyfocused on design, development, andimplementation of programmes that integratedpolicy goals, science information, and communityaspirations.

Harley has been involved with the New ZealandCoastal Society since 1993. A new managementcommittee member, he serves as Members andPartners Liaison on the committee. He is also atrustee for the Dune Restoration Trust of NewZealand. Follow Harley's thoughts and activitieson Twitter – @harleyspence.

Boom being deployed in Napier Inner Harbour.Photo: Hawke's Bay Regional Council.

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Coastal News No. 5014

A multi-million dollar waste recovery project thatcould rejuvenate the Bay of Islands’ oyster industryand deliver exciting environmental and economicbenefits is now well underway.

Project Oyster Shell is an innovative plan to removeand re-use timber and shells that have beenaccumulating on Waikare Inlet oyster farms sinceearly 2000 when the inlet was closed due to waterquality issues (which have since been resolved).

The $3.8 million project is being funded througha joint venture between the Ministry of theEnvironment’s Waste Minimisation Fund, local andcentral government, oyster farmers, industry, andlocal iwi.

The Enterprise Northland Trust has overallresponsibility for the project, which had its genesiswithin the Northland Regional Council 18 monthsago.

Project Manager Dr Jacquie Reed says a fullyoperational oyster industry in the Waikare Inletcould be worth anywhere from $7m to $30mannually.

“But no oyster farming can begin to be re-establishedin this area unless the shells and old timber areremoved.”

One of the first tasks for the coming year is removingand recycling the estimated 270 m3 of timber postsand rails on the oyster farms. Trials are currentlyunderway to find the most effective way to removethe timber.

Good timber will go to the Department ofConservation for fencing off wetlands in TrounsonKauri Park. The remaining timber will be furthertested to see if any useful waste recovery can beachieved.

The project team is also planning trials for removingthe estimated 25,000 m3 of waste oyster shell inthe inlet.

“This type of venture has never been undertakenbefore in New Zealand, or at this scale of operation,”says Jacquie.

“It’s a challenge working around wind and tides,and working with machines around seawater, sowe’re exploring what’s going to work best.”

Three methods for removing the waste shells areset to be tested on five oyster farms – a barge witha mounted digger, a barge with a winch, and usinga marine hand rake to remove light shell by hand.

Jacquie says that the project team is investigatingnew and innovative ways to re-use the waste shellswhich could be used in cement manufacturing, limeproduction, and/or other calcium-based products.

“Our aim is to make the oyster industry a zero-waste industry in Northland and in New Zealand.

Northland Oyster Shell Project UpdateNorthland Regional Council update

“A range of companies have already expressed aninterest in using the material as an alternative toquarried lime. However, there are also some spin-off opportunities for re-using shells in terms ofpharmaceuticals, construction, and agricultureproducts.”

Jacquie says two joint ventures are underway withoyster farmers and the Ministry of Science andInnovation (now MBIE).

“If this research develops a working prototype, thewaste shell could be turned into a product thatcan then be exported across the world – it’s a veryexciting possibility.”

Along with its economic and environmental benefits,Jacquie says the project is also bringing back asense of pride to the local community.

“The Waikare Inlet community was really hit hardby the closure of its main industry a decade ago,but the tide is ready to turn.

“The project is helping this community re-open forbusiness, re-establish their oyster industry, re-buildrelationships and create more jobs – and that’sgood news for everyone.”

Figure 2: Waikare Inlet oyster farmers trial a bargeand hydraulic arm for removing waste timber.Photo: Northland Regional Council.

Figure 1: Trials are currently underway to find themost effective way to remove waste timber. Photo:Northland Regional Council.

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July 2012 15

The New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement 2010came into effect on 3 December 2010. Preparationof the NZCPS is the responsibility of the Ministerof Conservation. Its purpose is to state the policiesin order to achieve the purpose of the ResourceManagement Act 1991 in relation to the coastalenvironment of New Zealand. Preparation of anNZCPS is a requirement of the RMA; this requirementreflects the importance of the coast to NewZealanders for its natural values and contributionto our economic, social, and cultural well-being.

The NZCPS 2010 includes seven objectives and 28policies and provides direction on such matters asthe management of activities in the coast, strategicplanning, indigenous biodiversity, natural characterand landscape, ports, water quality, historic heritage,aquaculture, and coastal hazards.

Steering Group

Thanks to the Local Government – Department ofConservation Implementation Steering Group forguiding us through the early stages of the currentwork programme. Local government members ofthe group include Dominic McCarthy (AucklandCouncil), Pere Hawes (Marlborough District Council),Linda Kirk (Environment Canterbury), CampbellLarking (Tauranga City Council) and Clare Wooding(Local Government New Zealand (Co-Chair)). DOCmembers on the group are Sarah McRae (Co-Chair),Anaru Luke, Rod Witte, and Kate Brooking.

The implementation work programme continues tobe supported by a small secretariat based at DOCNational Office in Wellington.

National Implementation Plan

The Steering Group endorsed the NationalImplementation Plan in 2011. This plan sets outthe priority work streams and projects to supportNZCPS 2010 implementation. A major outcomesought by the plan is that district and regionalcouncils are well informed about the requirementsand statutory obligations of the NZCPS 2010 andare supported to implement its policies.

Guidance

Thanks to those council planners and otherpractitioners who have contributed to the

NZCPS 2010 – An Implementation UpdateSarah McRae, Senior Planner, Department of Conservation

development of the draft guidance for each of theNZCPS 2010 policies. This package is in the finalproduction stages and will be available onlineshortly. DOC and LGNZ will advise when this materialis available. The guidance will provide a backgroundto each of the policies, key points relating toimplementation, and relevant resources. Applicationof the NZCPS 2010 in district and regional settingsdepends very much on the local context, and DOCis happy to engage with councils to talk about theseissues. This guidance will be updated asimplementation work develops.

Monitoring

Work stream D of the National Implementation Planis about monitoring the effectiveness andimplementation of the NZCPS 2010. Work stream Dis now scheduled to commence in July 2012 andwill be led by DOC National Office. This programmeof work will involve consultation with partneragencies and other stakeholders, so you may behearing from DOC.

For further information on the NZCPS please visitwww.doc.govt.nz/coastalpolicy or contact SarahMcRae at smcrae@doc.govt.nz.

Draft guidance for each of the NZCPS 2010 policieshave been developed. Photo: Marfells BeachRecreation Reserve, PR Dingwall, DOC.

The Government has recently adopted the NationalAquaculture Strategy and Five-year Action Plan.The strategy and action plan establishes a whole-of-government pathway to enable the aquaculturesector to grow.

Through the strategy and action plan the

National Aquaculture Strategygovernment defines the support it will provideto the aquaculture industry in achieving its goalswhile acting in the public interest to ensure anappropriate balance of economic, social, culturaland ecological values.

www.aquaculture.govt.nz

Back IssuesAll issues of Coastal News are available onthe NZCS website (www.coastalsociety.co.nz).You will need to log in to access the latestissue, but back issues (from Issue Number 6,April 1996) are freely available.

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Coastal News No. 5016

New Zealand Coastal SocietyCorporate Members

Corporate membership enables organisationsand companies to become part of the NewZealand Coastal Society and support thesociety’s mission of taking a leading role infacilitating a vibrant, healthy and sustainablecoastal and ocean environment.

Organisations and companies can show theirsupport for the aims and activities of thesociety and achieve public recognition of thatsupport.

Corporate membership benefits include:

• High-profile listing as a corporate membersponsor on the NZCS website(www.coastalsociety.org.nz/Corporate.htm).

• Website listing of services provided bycorporate organisation, contact details,and links to recent projects or corporatemember website.

• One free individual membership for theperson nominated as the corporate contactor any subsequent replacement alternate.

• Five complimentary copies of Coastal Newspublished three times per year.

• Discounted registration at member ratesfor the corporate contact to all NZCSconferences.

• Short feature on a corporate member inthe Coastal News newsletter.

For more information on corporatememberships please contact:

Harley SpenceMembership CoordinatorCoastal Society Committeeharley.spence@gw.govt.nz

The New Zealand Coastal Society would like to acknowledgeour corporate members for their support:

DisclaimerOpinions expressed in Coastal News are those of various authors and do not necessarily represent those of theeditor, the NZCS management committee, or NZCS. Every effort is made to provide accurate and factual content.The publishers and editorial staff, however, cannot accept responsibility for any inadvertent errors or omissionsthat may occur.