The Surfbreak Protection Society has lodged an appeal in the Environment Court against Port Otago's consents to continue depositing dredging material at Aramoana, Heyward Point and Shelley Beach.
Independent commissioners granted the port consent in July after a hearing earlier this year where the society was the main submitter against the application.
In its appeal, the society says the decision failed to properly consider relevant policies of the New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement which protected surf breaks of national significance including the Spit and Murdering Beach.
The society is asking the Environment Court to either decline the three-year consents or amend conditions to ensure possible effects on the environment and the surf breaks of national significance were protected and not adversely affected by the dredging deposition.
It believed the panel's approach was flawed because, while granting a temporary consent for continued disposal of dredged material as monitoring was carried out, it did not provide for an assessment of the existing environment to give baseline data.
''There will not be a baseline against which the effects of that increased deposition on the surf breaks can be compared and properly assessed.''
The society was calling for a minimum of one year, or ideally three, of baseline monitoring prior to further disposal.
Monitoring of wave peel angles, wave breaking intensity, wave height and wave break length needed to be done, the appeal said.
Port Otago chief executive Jeff Plunket said the port thought the panel's decision was well-balanced and an appropriate outcome given evidence presented.
The port had been depositing material in those areas for decades and had not damaged the surf breaks.
The port would now work through the appeal process with the society, he said.
