CoastCare groups in Northland
There are CoastCare groups all around the coast of Northland. If you are interested in joining a CoastCare group or starting your own, please contact:
Laura Shaft - CoastCare Co-ordinator, Northland Regional Council
E: coastcare@nrc.govt.nz | P: 0800 002 004
Location: Ahipara | Far North (North of Kaka Street)
Contact: Grace Robertson | E: gracerobertson007@gmail.com | P: 021 0297 3118
Ahipara Kaka Street.
Location: Ahipara | Far North (Mapere Block)
Date started: 2009
Purpose of group: Ensure the sustainable use and protection of the Kaimoana/seafood for both present and future generations.
About the group: The role of the Kōmiti includes: the protection and maintenance of wāhi tapu and other cultural/ heritage sites; the placing of rāhui to allow replenishment of harvested resources; directing development in ways which are in keeping with the environment; and implementing tikanga associated with traditional practices.
Contact: Patau Tepania | E: maui.2@icloud.com
Ahipara - Mapere.
Location: Baylys Beach | Kaipara district
Date started: 2007
Purpose of group: Reduce and repair vehicle damage to the dunes at Baylys Beach vehicles by fencing, planting and education and enhance the biodiversity of the Baylys Beach area.
About the group: Baylys Beach Society has planted spinifex and pingao on the dunes for several years, assisted in the last few years by students from Dargaville Intermediate School. Plants and fencing have been funded through the NRC Environment Fund, and the Kaipara District Council. The group has also put in a walkway between Chases and Baylys Gorge and is undertaking weed and pest control and planning backdune and streamside planting.
Contact: Baylys Beach Society Inc | E: baylysbeachsocietybbs@gmail.com
Baylys Beach boardwalk.
Location: Bream Bay
Date started: 2006
Purpose of group: Help care for and enhance the 700 hectares of coastal land held by the Department of Conservation in Bream Bay.
About the group: Bream Bay Coastal Care Trust helps protect the foredunes south of Ruakaka estuary which have suffered damage from rabbits, people and storm erosion. They collect seed from locally sourced plants and plant spinifex and pingao on damaged sections of dunes. The Trust has planting projects at Ruakaka Dune Lake and Paradise Shores and it maintains the Living Legends planting project at Uretiti. Trust members also maintain lines of predator traps at both the Waipu and Ruakaka estuaries to protect breeding shorebirds.
Contact: Marilyn Cox | E: breambaynews@xtra.co.nz | P: 09 432 0209
Bream Bay.
Location: Bream Tail
Bream Tail.
Location: Rarawa Beach | Far North
Facebook: www.facebook.com/FriendsofRarawa
Rarawa Beach.
Location: Glinks Gully, Ripiro Beach | Kaipara
Date started: 2002
Purpose of group: Protect the special character and natural environment of Glinks Gully.
About the group: Glinks Gully Protection Society members have been involved with the restoration of a back dune area located at the southern end of the Glinks Gully settlement. A successful weed control and replanting programme was undertaken with funding from Northland Regional Council's Environment Fund. The group is continuing to work on pest plant and animal control in the Gully.
Glinks Gully.
Location: Whatuwhiwhi | Karikari Peninsula
Whatuwhiwhi Beach.
Location: Hukatere, 90 Mile Beach | Far North
Date started: 2012
Purpose of group: To protect the sand dunes at Hukatere from vehicle damage and help them recover.
About the group: Hukatere is on Te Oneroa-a-Tōhe / 90 Mile Beach north of Waipapakauri. Erosion from vehicles on the dunes is causing sand to blow inland. Planting has taken place to help keep the sand on the dunes and allow them to build up again where they have been eroded down.
Hukatere - 90 Mile Beach.
Location: Tokerau Beach | Far North
Date started: 2007
Purpose of group: The aim of the group is to raise awareness of environmental protection and restoration of the beach and the impacts of inappropriate vehicle use on the beach and dunes.
About the group: The Karikari Peninsula Beach Care Group was formed in response to a growing number of coastal issues in the area including careless use of vehicles on the beach and dunes.
Tokerau Beach.
Location: Langs Beach
Date started: 2016
Purpose of group: Restore the dunes at Langs Beach and protect the shorebirds which nest on the beach.
About the group: The group was formed by Langs Beach residents concerned about damage to the dunes by vehicles parking and driving through them and at disturbance to the threatened Northern New Zealand dotterel which nests on the beach. The first stage of the group's work is fencing the dunes at the northern end of the beach and assisting the dune restoration with planting. The group also puts temporary fencing around the dotterel nests in the breeding season.
Langs Beach.
Location: Brookers Bay | Whananaki North
Brookers Bay.
Location: Mangawhai Sandspit and Estuary
Date started: 1994
Purpose of group: The Society works to protect and restore the Mangawhai sand spit and the harbour it shelters.
About the group: Mangawhai Harbour Restoration Society was formed after a large storm breached the spit to form a second entrance to the south of Mangawhai Harbour. The Society has been successful in establishing a nursery which has grown thousands of native spinifex and pingao plants. These have been planted on the spit by volunteers from the community and members of the society. The planting, fencing and rabbit control are part of a longer term programme which hopes to see the spit completely re-vegetated.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/mangawhaiharbour
Mangawhai Spit.
Location: Mangawhai Heads | Kaipara District
Date started: 2015
Purpose: To protect and enhance the foreshore of Mangawhai's greatest assets its harbour and beach.
About the group: Mangawhai Heads CoastCare Group was established to restore the dunes at the ocean beach. The group brings together a dedicated group of retirees supported by our local school, nursery Rural Design, Northland Regional Council, Kaipara District Council and the Dune Restoration Trust of New Zealand. The Mangawhai Heads ocean beach project has been broken down into three stages, with the first two stages of weed control and planting done. The group hopes to complete the area in 2017, although weed control and other maintenance will be ongoing.
Mangawhai Heads.
Location: Matapouri | Whangārei
Matapouri Beach.
Location: Mitimiti | Far North
Mitimiti Beach.
Location: Long Beach, Russell | Far North
Date started: Dune restoration was started in 2010
Purpose of group: Russell Land Care Group has been working with local residents at Long Beach in the Bay of Islands to restore the foredunes along the beach front.
About the group: Spinifex, pingao, wiwi and other native plants have planted around existing patches of spinifex and temporary fencing put in to protect the plants from people walking on and off the beach. Sand-ladders have also been put in to improve access down to the beach and reduce erosion.
Long Beach.
Location: Taipa, Doubtless Bay | Far North
Date started: Dune restoration was started in 2007
Purpose of group: Making Taipa beach a safe and inviting place to visit and enjoy for people of all ages.
About the group: Starting with the reserve area, the group has now also successfully restored the foredune along most of the beach frontage and is continuing to work to maintain this. The Society encourages all local residents and students to 'protect, respect and monitor' the beach.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/taipaworkgroup
Taipa, Doubtless Bay.
Location: Tapeka Reserve, Russell | Far North
Tapeka Point.
Location: Tauranga Bay Reserve | Far North
Date started: Dune restoration was started in 2007
Purpose of group: A sub-committee of the Tauranga Bay Community Association was formed to work on CoastCare activities and protection of nesting dotterels.
About the group: In 2007 funding was received from Far North District Council to place bollards to keep vehicles away from the beach frontage. Reshaping and planting of spinifex and pingao was then undertaken to help restore the dunes. The group has erected fencing and signage to protect the New Zealand dotterel nesting sites on the sand spit. They also undertake pest control to further protect the wildlife.
Tauranga Bay.
Location: Te Ngaere: Far North
Date started: 2009
Purpose of group: To protect the shorebirds and plants of Te Ngaere Bay and enhance the natural beauty of the bay.
About the group: Further planting of spinifex and pingao along the foreshore at Te Ngaere Bay is planned to help recovery from erosion and increase the native biodiversity of the bay.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TeNgaereBay
Te Ngaere, Far North.
Location: North of Elliot Bay | Old Russell Road
Date started: 2002
Purpose of group: Restoration of a formerly grazed coastal site, including sand dune and backdune areas.
About the group: Te Pahii is just south of Elliot Bay on Rawhiti Road. The owners fenced off the land over thirty years ago and since this time have planted over a thousand native trees, weeded, protected historic sites and trapped many hundred pests. In the last few years pingao has been planted into the spinifex dunes to re-establish the natural pingao population which had been devastated by rabbit browsing.
Contact: Peter Sharpe | E: psharpe@xtra.co.nz
Website: tepahii.nz
Te Pahii plantings.
Location: Pareparea Bay | Whananaki North
Paraparea Bay.
Location: Teal Bay
Teal Bay.
Location: Base of Mangawhai Sandspit
Date started: 1999
Purpose of group: Maintain the 136 hectare area of Tern Point.
About the group: Tern Point is a gated community adjoining a block of Department of Conservation land, situated on the Mangawhai Peninsula. The group has carried out planting every year for over ten years. They initially planted mainly pingao but now plant predominately spinifex as it is more effective at holding the sand on the dunes. They have also undertaken planting of natives along the estuary foreshore.
Tern Point.
Location: Waimamaku Beach
Waimamaku Beach.
Location: Waipapakauri Ramp | 90 Mile Beach
Date started: 2004
Purpose of group: Restore the damaged dune system near the Waipapakauri access point to Ninety Mile Beach (Te Oneroa-a-Tōhe) through management of sand dune inundation and degradation being caused by pedestrians, vehicles and wild horses.
About the group: Dunes have been fenced off and a single pathway for pedestrian access from the car park to the beach has been created using locally donated materials and the group's own labour. Thousands of the native sand-binders spinifex and pingao have been planted on the dunes by group members, local residents and local schools.
Waipapakauri Ramp.
Location: Waipu Cove
Date started: Dune restoration started in 2006
Purpose of group: The Board manages Waipu Cove reserve and camping ground and is committed to ensuring a high quality visitor experience.
About the group: The beach-front at Waipu Cove is gradually being restored from steep exotic grass bank to native fore dune. This has been undertaken in stages with each section reshaped and densely planted with spinifex, pingao and some back dune species. Fences and accessways have been put in place to reduce impact on the recovering dune from foot traffic.
Contact: Anton Trist | P: 09 432 0410 | E: managers@campwaipucove.com
Waipu Cove.
Location: Otamure | Whananaki
Otamure, Whananaki.