The Otago Conservation Board may understand why Port Otago wants to dredge the Otago Harbour, but it is concerned about the effect of such activity on the Aramoana salt marsh.
The board's submission was presented to the resource consent hearing panel yesterday by chairwoman Associate Prof Abigail Smith.
The salt marsh was recognised as one of the most important ecosystems in New Zealand, had ecological area status, and should not be allowed to suffer because of the dredging, she said.
In order to protect it, the board sought the inclusion of several conditions to consents, including restrictions of dredging in the vicinity of the marsh, and the halting of dredging from mid-September to late April, when large numbers of birds fed there.
The board withdrew concerns about sedimentation coming ashore, after evidence was presented. While opposed to the project, the board said it understood the proposed deepening and widening of the channel was "a necessary part of Port Otago's forward planning".
