About 90 surfers in Dunedin hit the water at Aramoana on
Saturday to show their support for the area's surf, which
they fear is threatened by Port Otago dredging plans.
Photo: Jane Dawber
Surfers in Dunedin have sent a message to Port Otago -
hands off Aramoana's waves.
About 90 surfers took to the water near the Aramoana mole at
noon yesterday, paddling out into a gentle swell and forming
a circle to demonstrate their feelings.
Surfbreak Protection Society South Island representative Nic
Reeves, of Dunedin, said the event celebrated the area's surf
break, amid fears the waves could be disrupted by Port Otago
dredging plans.
The popular surf spot was one of 26 around New Zealand
protected by the New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement.
However, she and other surfers feared the port company's plan
to renew existing dumping consents at three sites - Aramoana
beach, Heyward Point and Shelly Beach - could lead to
disruption of the waves.
The company already had 10-year consents to dump up to
200,000cu m a year each at the Aramoana site and Heyward
Point, as well as 50,000cu m at Shelly Beach, which were due
to expire in November.
It had also won approval earlier this year for its Next
Generation project to deepen Otago Harbour, result in the
harbour channel being dredged and some of the sediment
deposited at the three sites.
However, with that project still working its way through an
Environment Court appeals process, the company was seeking to
renew its 10-year consents for a further three years.
Her group was not opposed to the company's plans, but wanted
more detailed scientific study of the possible impacts on
Aramoana's waves.
Port Otago chief executive Geoff Plunket said when contacted
use of the dump sites varied, and they were not used to
capacity at present, but claims they would be in future was
"supposition".
"I can't tell you a definitive answer to how much we'll dump
in the future, because that depends on how much dredging we
do."
There was "absolutely no foundation" to claims the area's
surf was deteriorating, with monitoring and research showing
dumping had "minimal or no impact" on the waves, he said.
However, the company would hold a pre-hearing conference with
opponents and technical expert later this year, he said.
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