The Napier City Council has applied for consents to build a Breakwater onto the main ridge of the Westshore reef at Napier.
The consent application states that there will be some adverse effects on the left hand ride and some minor adverse effects on the right hand ride.
the inner young nippers zone would be completely eliminated.
The outer right and left surfing reef will be affected with backwash, the left hander at least, seriously so.
The Assessment of Environmental Effects Report by Met Oceans Ltd states that while adverse effects on the in shore nursery surfbreak can not be avoided (that is its complete elimination with the placement of the breakwater and back fill) overall adverse effects are minimal, .
The Surfbreak Protection Society questions Met Oceans Ltd interpretation of minimal adverse effects and opposes outright this consent application.
The applicant (Napier City Council) in its consent application page 17 states that:
“Some effects on the surfing wave are expected to occur, primarily due to residual wave reflections off the structure, presenting as backwash on the inside section of both the left and right hand rides and a degree of wave crest interference on the outer section at the takeoff location. The modelling indicates the interference is only minor and the integrity of the surfing wave is not compromised.”
The surfing reef is an important natural inner city surfbreak that has an extremely high recreational amenity value which is easily accessible by young and old, from learner to advanced.
Inner nursery surfbreaks are significantly important for future generations of surfers. This fact was noted during the NZCPS-2008-board-of-inquiry-vol-2 for the 2010 New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement(NZCPS), in that adverse effects on such surfbreaks should be avoided.
SPS is in the process of contracting its own specialists in the field of surfing wave quality science and will table an articulated scientific / legal response by the time that the council Hearing process begins.
Due to time limits on submissions surfers and all concerned with this inappropriate coastal development have only until 5pm Wednesday the 2nd of October to lodge a submission opposing the application.
photo courtesy of Greg Thompson
You can download a submission form as a word document here or as a .Pdf here
Simply fill in the submission and email it to the Hawkes Bay Regional Council (email address is provided on the form)
The Consent application and AEE states that:
..The report concludes that the reduction in reef area is considerable and that
reductions in habitat of this magnitude can cause consistently negative effects on biodiversity. However the types of species found during the survey are common in
reef systems in and around Napier and it is considered that the effects on
biodiversity will be minor.
and;
The coastline in the area has been highly modified over time yet the reef
complex remains unique because of the high ecological, social and cultural
values.
The consent application and supporting documents can be downloaded from the Hawkes Bay Regional Council Website
Historical documentation on the reef can be viewed at the Napier City Council website
The project is controversial as the Local newspaper the BayBuzz demonstrates with this article Stonewalled in Westshore with local opponent of the project Larry Dallimore.