Dear Friends,

Thank you for signing the petition Save Mangamaunu Surf Break.
https://our.actionstation.org.nz/petitions/save-mangamaunu-surf-break-1

Could you please forward this email on to the relevant ministers of the Crown:
jacinda.ardern@parliament.govt.nz p.twyford@ministers.govt.nzwinston.peters@parliament.govt.nz   e.sage@ministers.govt.nz
k.davis@ministers.govt.nz  j.genter@ministers.govt.nz  s.jones@ministers.govt.nzDavid.Parker@parliament.govt.nz

cc: causes.surfbreak@gmail.com

Please include our email address in the cc line ( causes.surfbreak@gmail.com ) so we can monitor the response.

Feel free to add your own concerns, but please be respectful in doing so.

Dear Ministers,

I request that the Ministers of the Coalition Government call in / withdraw the consents that have been processed inappropriately under emergency earthquake legislation to create a seawall and a cycle way in the foreshore and coastal hazard zone within the Mangamaunu surf break and bay.

The Surfbreak Protection Society (SPS) has been providing as much information as possible to you and the general public about the draconian measures taken by NCTIR(2017), and NZTA and Kiwirail holdings Ltd ( 2018) in applying for consents to build a cycle way and car park under emergency earthquake legislation that will by their own technical documents, likely have adverse  (and permanent) effects on the Mangamaunu surf break, a national treasure as listed in schedule one of the New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement, and ALL adverse effects must be avoided.

When first informed by Ecan and Kaikoura District Council, SPS were told that the reason for the cycleway, car park, and coastal works was to “improve access to the surf break.”

Nothing could be further from the truth.

In February 2017, Kaikoura Mayor Winston Gray (Chair of the Kaikoura Cycle Club) and Hurunui Mayor Winton Dalley, Marlborough Mayor John Leggett thought the earthquake offered a limited window of opportunity for the cycleway to be incorporated into the rebuild of the state highway and main trunk line.

Kaikoura MP Stuart Smith, an outspoken supporter of the project, delivered a letter from the Mayors to then Prime Minister Bill English to include the cycle way in the rebuild, which also had support from then Transport Minister Simon Bridges.

NCTIR and now NZTA/Kiwirail Holdings Ltd are promoting these coastal works under the guise of enhancement and “adding resilience” to the coastal transport network when these works are nothing more than a misuse of the emergency earthquake legislation.

NZTA/Kiwirail Holdings Ltd own applications state:
Given the scale of the works and sensitivity of the receiving environment, under a normal RMA process these applications would require a detailed site plan which would be used to determine If the application should be notified.

In other words, NZTA/Kiwirail Holdings Ltd know full well these ill-advised consent applications would not stand up to a robust RMA process, and are blindly following the directive given by the previous National Government

Clause 1 1(3) of the Hurunui/ Kaikoura Earth quakes Recovery (Coastal Route and Other Matters) Order 2016 however, specifies that these applications must not be publically notified or given limited notification. Given this restriction the application must proceed to substantive decision without either public or limited notification.

The Consents are in force for a term of 35 years, thus rendering Mangamaunu unprotected for this period of time, as the NZCPS will apply to all other identified breaks with the exception of Mangamaunu.

This in itself is an extraordinary consequence of the regions mayors and previous government’s decision to push this development under the OIC & earthquake legislation.

The demise of Mangamaunu would set a precedent in a post RMA New Zealand where an identified Outstanding Natural Feature is to be destroyed with no due process.

Any cycle way or development now or in future within Mangamaunu needs to be undertaken with the inclusion of community voice, thorough assessments, and safeguards of the RMA

Please return democracy to this process and call in these draconian consents.

Can you please help spread the word by forwarding the link below to your friends?

https://our.actionstation.org.nz/petitions/save-mangamaunu-surf-break-1

Thanks

The Crew at SPS