Port Otago seeking three-year dredging consents

As Port Otago's Next Generation project consents have not yet been resolved, the company is seeking a three-year renewal of maintenance dredging consents.

The company's 10-year consent to dispose of material dredged from Port Otago at three sites - Heyward Point, Spit Beach (known as Aramoana Beach) and The Spit (Shelly Beach) - to keep the harbour channel at its required depth expires on November 3.

Port Otago has applied to the Otago Regional Council to renew the consents for three years, rather than the previous 10, with 200,000 cubic metres per year each to be disposed at Heyward Point and Aramoana Beach and 50,000cu m per year at Shelly Beach.

Port chief executive Geoff Plunket said it had been decided to apply for a three-year term so the the consents could be aligned with those of the Next Generation Project, which also involved some dumping at the three sites.

Consents for that had been granted but were now being challenged in the Environment Court.

"They fit together as part of the package," he said.

When the Next Generation consents were finalised, the company could apply for more long-term consents as was the industry standard.

"In most of the other ports [around the country], the term is 20 to 35 years - that is normal around the coast."

Also, much science had been completed for the Next Generation project and during the past 10 years of maintenance dredging through the joint working party.

Through the science, plus monitoring of environmental impacts and the requirements to modify practice in response, long-term conditions could be put in place, Mr Plunket said.

As the company applied to renew the consents six months before they expired, it was able to continue dumping at the sites until a decision was issued.

The company had consulted iwi and the Department of Conservation, which were involved in the working party, and was planning a meeting for concerned surfing groups before submissions closed.

From the research the company had done, it did not believe the dredging affected protected surf breaks at Aramoana, he said.

Surfbreak Protection Society spokeswoman Nic Reeves said recently the society would make a submission on the consent.

"We will be backed with more scientific evidence and support with our experts, reiterating our concerns and requests for care and protection of these delicate natural assets, our surf breaks."

Submissions close on September 9.

rebecca.fox@odt.co.nz

 

Add a Comment