Recommendation to grant Port consent

Environment Bay of Plenty has recommended resource consent be granted to Port of Tauranga to deepen the shipping channels in the port zone.

The recommendation has been made to the Minister of Conservation subject to conditions dealing with adverse affects on tangata whenua following a hearing in March.

The application was heard by independent commissioners Greg Hill and Vaughn Payne who were appointed by Environment Bay of Plenty. The Minister of Conservation also appointed Richard Heerdegan as a commissioner to the panel because of the scale and significance of the application.

Port of Tauranga had applied for consent to deepen the shipping channels in the Tauranga Port zone by up to 3.3 metres – removing 15 million cubic metres of sediment.

The conditions include:

• The establishment of a Tangata Whenua Reference Group to enable a free flow of information, and to provide for the value of traditional environmental knowledge in decision-making with respect to monitoring, research and kaimoana restoration;

• A Kaimoana Restoration Plan to mitigate the loss of kaimoana;

• The provision of a bond to deal with any unforeseen adverse effects on the environment;

• How Tanea Shelf (a rocky outcrop at the base of Mount Maunganui inside the harbour mouth) and the removal of boulders are to be treated; and

• Greater detail with respect to disposal of the dredged material.

Environment Bay of Plenty’s Group Manager Water Management Eddie Grogan said the resource consent hearing ran very smoothly and the regional council was pleased to be able to make this recommendation to the Minister.

The final decision on this resource consent rests with the Minister of Conservation.

The hearing was held from 8 to 11 March in Mount Maunganui.

ENDS

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