Posted: 16 August 2007
Pilot programme for busy Mangawhai harbour
A pilot management programme that will guide everything from mooring numbers to the types of vessels that can use them is to be drawn up for one of Northland’s most popular harbours.
The Northland Regional Council is promoting the proposed Mooring Management Plan to try to better address a number of issues confronting heavily-used Mangawhai Harbour.
Jonathan Gibbard, the Council’s Senior Coastal Policy Analyst, says although it has just 50 to 60 moorings, Mangawhai shares problems common to other popular – and larger - Northland harbours. These include a lack of new mooring space and limitations with shore-based facilities like car parking, toilets and rubbish disposal.
Mr Gibbard says 2005 changes to the Council’s Regional Coastal Plan had cleared the way for the Council to tailor-make Management Plans for all mooring areas in Northland and it was now in a position to begin that work, starting with Mangawhai.
Vital to that process will be consultation with affected mooring owners, other relevant parties and the Kaipara District Council, which is itself undertaking a review of foreshore reserves surrounding the harbour.
As part of its review, the Kaipara Council will be consulting with the Mangawhai community in November and Mr Gibbard says the Regional Council hopes to join that process to ensure an integrated approach to the harbour’s management.
He says the NRC’s proposed Mooring Management Plan for Mangawhai will attempt to address a raft of issues including:
- a maximum number of moorings
- mooring layout and type and the type and size of vessel to be moored
- the type and level of facilities and services to be provided and/or upgraded
- any recognised recreational areas, including bathing beaches, navigation channels, ski lanes and sites of cultural value
However, Mr Gibbard says the proposed management plan will not identify new mooring areas or alter the boundaries of the current ones. Those issues had already been thoroughly addressed through a separate legal process that was now almost complete after two years’ work.
“While the latest Regional Council and Kaipara District Council initiatives are separate proposals, each has implications for the others. For example, the location and type of shore-based facilities identified within the Mangawhai Reserve Management Plan will influence the location and number of moorings identified within the Mooring Management Plan.“
Meanwhile, he says the Regional Council is also keen to develop a Harbour Safety Management Plan to identify and manage potential navigation and safety issues within the harbour.
“This will include risks assessment, a review of aids to navigation and the likely designation of specific areas for various water-based activities.“
Mr Gibbard says although the Regional Council’s plans are still in their initial stages, it hopes to be able to form a working party to advance its plans within the next month. Potential members include relevant community representatives, mooring owners and the Kaipara District Council.
“Both Councils realise that the success of the individual projects depends in large part both on community input and how the plans complement each other.”