PART 3: SIGNIFICANT RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
9.1 Introduction
The coastal environment of Tasman District extends from Kahurangi Point on the West Coast, to a point on the shoreline of Waimea Inlet, opposite the Champion Road boundary with Nelson City. It includes the territorial sea out to the twelve nautical mile (22.2 kilometre) limit. The inland extent of the coastal environment is variable, defined only as being land where there are interactions between the land and sea environments.
The sea (coastal marine) area may be considered to consist of five distinct geographic areas, while the shoreline and adjoining land form five distinct geographic areas. These areas are:
A. COASTAL MARINE AREA
1. The open ocean of the West Coast and north of Farewell Spit. Little is known about the ecological or natural influences of this area, nor of uses currently made of it other than as a transit area primarily for fishing vessels at the western entrance to Cook Strait.
2. The largely enclosed waters of Golden Bay, which is generally circular, approximately 35 kilometres across, and open through an arc of roughly 900 (or 25 kilometres) on its eastern side. Commercial fishing, minor aquaculture (1994) but extensive spat catching and scallop enhancement areas, and recreational boating, are prevalent activities in the Bay.
3. The wide V-shaped Tasman Bay, for which Council has jurisdiction only over the western half.
Coastal activities in Tasman Bay are similar to those in Golden Bay, but more intensive recreational boating is associated with the Abel Tasman National Park coastline and day-sailing from Nelson.
Commercial shipping to and from Port Nelson traverses the bay.
4. Estuaries, varying in scale from the large Waimea and Whanganui Inlets, in the east and west respectively, to Onahau and Puponga estuaries.
5. Extensive intertidal sandflats extend up to 6 km from high water on the south side of Farewell Spit;
and on a lesser scale are common throughout Golden Bay and in the Riwaka/Motueka coast in Tasman Bay.
B. SHORELINE AND ADJOINING COASTAL LAND 1. Kahurangi Point to Pillar Point
This open ocean coastline includes extensive dune systems in the south, otherwise it is a rocky shoreline, with cliffs being a strong landscape and scenic element. It is breached by the entrance to the Whanganui Inlet; smaller estuaries in the south provide important largely unmodified habitats.
The area has limited road access and it is sparsely populated. Some farmland adjoins the coastline, with the Kahurangi National Park occupying the hinterland of the Wakamarama Range virtually through to the base of Farewell Spit.
The Big River Estuary, Whanganui Inlet, and the coast between Kahurangi River and Big River, and between Te Hapu and Fossil Point, are ranked as nationally important.
2. Farewell Spit
This low sandspit shelters Golden Bay from ocean influences to the north. The spit and the extensive tidal flats to the south are a nature reserve of international importance for bird species, especially waders. Land access to the Spit is controlled by the Department of Conservation. Access by sea from Golden Bay is limited by the extremely wide intertidal area.
Farewell Spit and the tidal flats are ranked as internationally important.
Section 9: Coastal Environment 1 July 2001
3. Golden Bay
The bay is characterised by a shallow-graded sandy shoreline, interrupted by estuaries. Farm properties are dispersed along the western coastal plain and through the Aorere and Takaka river valleys which drain into the bay. Small retirement or holiday settlements have been established sporadically along the coastline.
There are several small ports, but limited opportunities for berthage, moorings, or launching ramps.
Fish processing occurs on the Waitapu Wharf, and at Seaford.
The scenic qualities of the area, its beaches and mild sunny climate attract a range of residents, holiday-makers and tourists, but the bay does not have the range of continually available activities of mainstream coastal tourist areas.
Coastal erosion is evident in parts of the bay. Protection works of variable apparent effectiveness have been put in place, some having no aesthetic merit.
There are eleven estuaries and inlets in Golden Bay which are of national importance: Puponga Inlet;
Pakawau Inlet; Waikato Spits, Inlet and Shell Banks; Ruataniwha Inlet; Parapara Inlet and Sandspit;
Onekaka Estuary and Sandspit; Onahau Estuary; Waitapu Estuaries; Motupipi Estuary; Tata Beach Estuary; and Wainui Inlet.
4. Abel Tasman National Park Coastline
While not entirely within the extent of the national park, the coastline between Tarakohe and Tapu Bay includes a succession of cliffs or headlands, sandy beaches and estuaries. Much of the land has regenerating bush cover. Small residential areas adjoin the northern and southern coastal limits of the Park, and enclaves of private land are surrounded by park at Awaroa and Torrent Bay. (The national park extends only to mean high water springs: it does not include tidal foreshore.)
This coastline has major scenic importance, attracting people to walk the coastal track or explore the coastline by boat. The Tonga Marine Reserve was established over a central section of the park coastline in 1993. All fishing is excluded in the marine reserve: a restriction on trawling and dredging also applies in a sector of sea off Separation Point, to protect beds of bryozoan corals. The near-shore subtidal community was studied prior to the marine reserve being proposed, but little is known of the undersea environment further offshore.
Recreational boat traffic to and along this coastline is high, especially in summer. Craft vary widely in size, speed, visibility and purpose, from larger commercial passenger craft to privately owned boats, including canoes and kayaks.
National importance is given to the coast between Pohara and Abel Tasman Point, while the Abel Tasman National Park coastline and estuaries are internationally important.
5. Tasman Bay
The coastline from Tapu Bay to the District boundary at Champion Road has a variety of natural features including the Moutere Inlet and the major western part of the Waimea Inlet; the ports at Motueka and Mapua; the delta area of the Riwaka and Motueka rivers; sandspit at Motueka; barrier islands (Rabbit Island and Jackett Island); Kina Peninsula and the cliffs between Kina and Ruby Bay.
Seabed build up is reported at the former Riwaka port area. Erosion is evident at Marahau and Ruby Bay, while the Motueka Sandspit varies as erosion and deposition of sand fluctuates.
Of the larger urban communities, parts of Motueka extend to the coastline but, as with Richmond, the bulk of the urban area is close to but not immediately on the coastline. Other coastal residential areas are at Tapu Bay, Riwaka, Ruby Bay, Mapua and Bests Island. Farmland, orchards, forestry and industries adjoin the remainder of this coastline.
The regional sewage scheme treats urban effluent at Bells Island in the Waimea Inlet and discharges into the inlet on the outgoing tide. The Motueka oxidation ponds discharge to marsh cells, which in turn discharge to ground soakage on land adjoining the Motueka river mouth. The Tasman/Nelson district boundary drawn through Tasman Bay includes an adjustment to place the dumping ground for Port Nelson dredgings under the jurisdiction of Nelson City.
National importance is given to: the Otuwhero and Marahau Estuaries, Sandspits and Tidal Flats;
Motueka Delta; Moutere Inlet and Waimea Inlet. No Man’s Island is ranked as internationally important.
The Act allows the Council to consider and address in the Tasman Regional Policy Statement, issues relating to:
(i) the occupation and use of the coastal marine area (sea space occupied by coastal waters, foreshore or seabed), including disturbances, extraction of material, structures, use of water, discharges, and other activities;
(ii) the effects of any use, development or protection of any land in the coastal environment that are of regional (that is, district) significance;
(iii) the control of land use for the purposes of soil conservation, water management, natural hazards or hazardous substances management.
In addition, the Council has the powers of a harbour board under the Harbours Act 1950 to implement any policies in the Tasman Regional Policy Statement concerning navigation and safety issues where harbour limits have been defined. The entire coastline could be included within harbour limits.
There is a range of issues in the coastal environment of the District, arising from interactions between coastal resources and processes and the adverse effects of established activities or of any future activities. In summary form, these issues are:
(i) a lack of information on the coastal marine environment and likely effects of various activities on this environment;
(ii) issues concerning coastal craft, including the management of navigation and safety risks and provision of boating facilities;
(iii) potential adverse effects of aquaculture activities and determining appropriate methods of allocating sea space for aquaculture;
(iv) effects on public access to coastal space from authorising private rights to use the coast;
(v) legal limitations on the Council concerning the management of the effects of aquaculture and fisheries activities;
(vi) identifying and maintaining the natural character of any part of the coastal environment;
(vii) adverse effects of land-based activities on the coastal environment;
(viii) the maintenance and enhancement of coastal water quality, including adverse effects of sewage effluent, other land-based discharges and accidental spills or discharges into the sea.
(ix) public interest in access to and along the coast.
Section 9: Coastal Environment 1 July 2001