ODT Otago Harbour file photo.
Public submissions on Port Otago's proposed widening and
deepening of the lower harbour, covering about 13km of channel
from Port Chalmers to salt marshes opposite Taiaroa Head, close
on Friday.
There have been anecdotal concerns raised about environmental
issues, surrounding silt-laden water and silt settlement but
no indication Port Otago's largest capital expenditure
proposal is building into a major environmental issue.
Port Otago, which has so far spent about $1.5 million, lodged
a resource consent application with the Otago Regional
Council in May for the channel-deepening project - which is
expected to cost more than $100 million - to allow the
passage of larger container ships.
The application listed about 30 affected parties: eight
commercial, four environmental, seven recreational or sports
groups and 11 local groups.
It was understood few submissions had been lodged so far.
Dunedin spokesperson for the Surfbreak Protection Society,
Nik Reeves, said Aramoana beach was one of the country's best
breaks and called for submissions.
St Clair surfing club South Coast Boardriders Association was
also calling for submissions.
Ms Reeves said in a statement yesterday while previous sand
dumping had improved wave quality at Aramoana in the past,
she wanted dumping more closely monitored and the spoil to be
dumped further out to sea.
Because of the size of the 200-page Port Otago document and
data provided, when the regional council publicly notified
the application the public submission period was doubled from
the usual 20 working days to 40 days.
This time period expires at 5pm on Friday.
While Port Otago's application concludes there will only be
minor effects associated with the removal and dumping at sea
of about 7.2 million cu m of sand and silt, groups with
interests in aquatic and avian wildlife, beaches and the
foreshore are expected to make file submissions this week.
Port Otago claims most of the 7.2 million cu m of sand and
silts (of varying weights) would go to the offshore dump
site, 6.5km from Taiaroa Head, with the plume of the released
sediment expected to settle 18km towards the north and be 5km
in width.
The effect on recreational fishing and diving is likely to be
localised and short term, while for surfing and swimming,
there will be a negligible reduction in wave height, with no
increase in erosion or build up, the application says.
Subject to consent, Port Otago has said shipping line demand
for a deeper channel could be from two to 15 years away and
the port would "immediately" extend its current maintenance
dredging programme, at a "low intensity" level using its
dredge New Era to remove about 1.45 million cu m annually.
Once larger ship visits were confirmed, it would use an
international dredging contractor to complete the project,
estimated to be about 110 days of dredging.
simon.hartley@odt.co.nz
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