07 November, 2013

Public input sought on regional moorings rethink

Growing pressure on limited mooring and marina space around Northland’s coast – especially in the Bay of Islands – has prompted a local authority rethink on the way the allocation issue should be dealt with over the next 50 years.

The Northland Regional Council is poised to release a Draft Mooring and Marinas Strategy which aims to address both current and future management issues around how and where boats can be moored in Northland as a whole.

It includes a tailor-made section specifically designed to address the Bay of Islands, the place where demand/pressures are greatest and consequently the area the proposed strategy would affect most.

Council Policy Specialist – Coastal, Ben Lee, says the roughly 50-page full draft includes a new policy to ensure water space is allocated more fairly in Northland, including pre-determined compensation when things like new marinas or pile moorings are proposed in existing mooring areas.

He says the proposed strategy also suggests the regional council – which currently only owns a handful of moorings – should acquire others in some areas as they become available to help it better manage them there.

The strategy has been developed over the past 18 months after consultation with a variety of key stakeholders including local residents, boating clubs, commercial and environmental interests, other local authorities, contractors and marina developers.

It will soon be the wider community’s turn with the proposed strategy due to be released for a month-long public consultation period shortly. (SUBS: Mon 11 November) As part of this process, regional council staff will be writing to all mooring owners individually to outline the draft strategy and how they too can have their say.

He says the strategy is designed to try to address a number of issues to ensure Northland’s moorings and marinas are provided for in a sustainable and fair manner over the next 50 years.

“This is no easy task given we’re trying to balance demand for mooring space in typically iconic parts of the region which are also valued by many other sectors of the community for a range of reasons including environmental, recreational, commercial, and cultural.”

Mr Lee says those pressures are especially true in the Bay of Islands and for that reason the strategy also contains a more detailed proposal to address its situation.

He says historically local authority planning around moorings and marinas had been largely focussed on the short to medium term, but a longer-term approach was now needed.

Mr Lee says at this stage the draft proposal is exactly that and it’s future shape could change significantly to reflect the looming public input.

“We’re very keen for the public to let us know their thoughts on – and any alternative solutions to – the issues and suggestions outlined in this proposed strategy.”

He says public feedback will form a crucial part of the process and would include public workshops in Kerikeri and Opua in late November/early December.

“The workshops are currently only being held in the Bay of Islands because it’s the area most affected by the proposed strategy.”

The Kerikeri workshop would be held the Turner Centre from 6pm on Thursday 28 November and the Opua workshop from 6pm at the Opua Cruising Club on Monday 02 December.

Once the official consultation period ended on Monday 16 December, staff would begin summarising it with a view to public hearings in February/March.

Information about the proposed strategy will be available from Monday 11 November via www.nrc.govt.nz/haveyoursay or by contacting council policy analyst Michael Payne on 0800 002 004.

ENDS

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