Media comments on Next Generation hearing submissions April 2011

http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/156972/surf-break-threat-feared

not much mentioned really, and the other article

South Coast Board Riders Association counsel Brett Gray said the association believed the impact of the disposal of soil at sea or at three current disposal sites would have a serious impact on the city's protected surf breaks.

Its main area of concern was the application to dispose of soil at the Aramoana "spit" disposal mound and Heyward Point, which could adversely affect the quality of the wave produced there.

"This wave is recognised nationally and internationally as one of the best beach-breaks in the world. In good conditions, over 100 to 200 people can be surfing at that break."

Surfers had been aware of the adverse changes to the quality of waves directly affected by the disruption to the swell corridor since the port had been disposing of dredge spoil at Aramoana, he said.

The true effects of the additional disposal were unknown and although wave monitoring had been promised, it would not give an accurate picture of the effects.

The association and Surfbreak Protection Society spokeswoman Nicola Reeves said they did not oppose the dredging of the Otago harbour basin but hoped the port company would look at alternative ways to dispose of the spoil and called for independent analysis of the effects on the wave quality, installation of a camera above the existing dump site and robust monitoring of the spoil mound and effect on the Aramoana surf break four times a year."

http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/156971/grant-port-otago-consents-orc

"The Otago Regional Council has upheld its recommendation that Port Otago's dredging and disposal consents be granted but it has suggested amendments and added conditions to ensure its effects are more tightly controlled,"

there needed to be a good level of certainty for specific activities or monitoring to provide a degree of confidence that potential effects would be adequately monitored. Monitoring of the dredge spoil activities was a crucial aspect of consent for the activity, she said

"It is clear . . . there will be effects as a result of the deposition [of spoil]. What is in contention is the nature and scale of the effects and whether the scientific research will be found to be an accurate representation of the actual effects."

Bathymetric surveys should be taken during and immediately following the major capital dredging and disposal activities at a minimum of every three months and continue annually for three yeas after the capital dredging had ended, she said.