Posted: 11 July 2006
Consent granted for new floating Russell jetty
A Bay of Islands couple has been granted resource consent to remove an existing jetty and build a new floating one to improve boat access to their Russell property.
Applicants Ed and Brenda Higgins had sought permission from the Northland Regional Council to build the 27-metre long jetty in the coastal marine area at Te Wahapu Rd, Russell.
A two-member Northland Regional Council Hearing Committee – chaired by Cr Jim Peters – heard the couple’s application in Russell last month and in a recently-released decision granted a 15-year consent, subject to conditions.
The Committee concluded removal of the existing jetty and the installation of the proposed jetty seven metres to the north would have only minor effects on the environment and the area’s “visual and landscape values and natural character”.
Likely users of the proposed new facility would include those from “adjacent properties between the applicant’s land and Te Wahapu Rd, the Te Wahapu community and mooring owners in the adjacent mooring area”.
Although access to the jetty would depend on the tide, “public use and access to and from the coastal marine area will none-the-less be improved to a degree by the proposed jetty”.
The Committee granted consent to “place, use and occupy space in the coastal marine area with a floating jetty” and to demolish the existing jetty.
That decision can be appealed to the Environment Court for 15 working days.