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Wharekawa Coast 2120 Natural Hazards Social Impact Assessment for Wharekawa Social impact and implications of sea- level rise on communities along the Wharekawa coast May 2020 Contents PURPOSE OF STUDY ................................................................................................................ 2 METHODOLOGY ...................................................................................................................... 3 BACKGROUND ......................................................................................................................... 4 DEMOGRAPHICS ...................................................................................................................... 7 ENVIRONMENT ...................................................................................................................... 11 INFRASTRUCTURE .................................................................................................................. 13 INDUSTRY, BUSINESS AND INITIATIVES............................................................................. 14 RECREATION AND TOURISM ............................................................................................... 15 SOCIAL ISSUES AND CONCERNS ........................................................................................ 17 SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PŪKOROKORO-MIRANDA, KAIAUA, WHAKATIWAI, AND WAHARAU. ......................................................................................... 18 WHY PEOPLE LIKE THE AREA AS A PLACE TO LIVE ........................................................... 18 MAIN SOCIAL AND COMMUNITY ISSUES.......................................................................... 19 NATURAL HAZARDS ISSUES AND CONCERNS ................................................................. 21 COMMUNITY PERCEPTION OF COASTAL HAZARDS ........................................................ 22 COMMUNITY OUTLOOK ON COASTAL HAZARDS RISKS ................................................ 23 SOCIAL OUTCOMES FROM STATUS QUO.......................................................................... 24 DEFINING THE STATUS QUO SCENARIO ........................................................................... 25 SOCIAL OUTCOMES THAT MAY ARISE IN THE STATUS QUO SCENARIO ..................... 26 CONCLUSIONS ....................................................................................................................... 33 RECOMMENDATIONS AND FURTHER CONSIDERATIONS .............................................. 34 REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................... 38 1 List of Figures Figure 1 - Wharekawa Coast 2120 project area .................................................................................................................. 2 Figure 2- The Pink Shop during 2018 flood event ............................................................................................................. 7 Figure 3 - Firth of Thames Ramsar Site map ...................................................................................................................... 12 Figure 4 - Kaiaua Boat Ramp with the Firth of Thames in the background ........................................................... 16 Figure 5 - The four key areas for measuring social outcomes .................................................................................... 24 Figure 6- Māori land blocks identified around Wharekawa Marae / Whakatiwai. .............................................. 37 List of Tables Table 1-Wharekawa Coast 2120 Demographic Data ........................................................................................................ 8 Disclaimer This document has been prepared by Envirostrat Limited for the exclusive use of the Client and for a specific purpose, each as expressly stated in the document. No other party should rely on this document without the prior written consent of Envirostrat Limited. Envirostrat Limited undertakes no duty, or warranty, nor accepts any responsibility, to any third party who may rely upon or use this document. This document has been prepared based on the Client’s description of its requirements and Envirostrat Limited's experience, having regard to assumptions that Envirostrat Limited can reasonably be expected to make in accordance with sound professional principles. Envirostrat Limited may also have relied upon information provided by the Client and other third parties to prepare this document, some of which may not have been verified. Subject to the above conditions, this document may be transmitted, reproduced or disseminated only in its entirety. 2 Purpose of study The Hauraki District Council (HDC) is carrying out a community planning process, Wharekawa Coast 2120, that is looking at a wide range of issues around the coast and how a resilient and prosperous future can be provided for over the next 100 years. The communities of Waharau, Whakatiwai, Kaiaua, and Pūkorokoro-Miranda are all considered as part of the project. Both Hauraki District Council along with Waikato Regional Council have commissioned this report as an independent social impact assessment of coastal hazards on the communities along the Wharekawa coast. In the face of climate change and predicted sea level rise the future impacts on these communities are uncertain. As part of determining a plan for the future, Wharekawa Coast 2120 needs an understanding of the important values and concerns held by the community, including mana whenua. In order to be successful, it is essential that any decision-making process incorporates local knowledge and views on what actions might deliver a prosperous and resilient future. Coastal adaptation strategies are being put in place by other communities around New Zealand. The Ministry for the Environment produced the 2008 national guidance manual ‘Coastal Hazards and Climate Change: A Guidance Manual for Local Government in New Zealand’ which is regarded as the fundamental basis for any adaptation efforts at the local level. In 2017, The Ministry for the Environment provided an update to the guidance manual containing new information on the scientific understanding and legal framework. The summary document ‘Preparing for Coastal Change – A Summary of Coastal Hazard and Climate Change Guidance for Local Government’ is available for a wider audience of readers and stakeholders. To understand the impacts of climate change and natural hazards in the Wharekawa Coast 2120 project area, the following suite of reports are being compiled: • Coastal processes, drivers and hazards (coastal inundation, coastal erosion and tsunami) and climate change effects • River flooding of the Hauarahi Stream • Land stability • Social Impact Assessment for Wharekawa (this report) • Wharekawa Coast 2120 Risk Assessment. The purpose of this Social Impact Assessment (SIA) study is to provide: • A clearer understanding of what is valued in the area and community • Meaningful engagement with community stakeholders • Analysis of social outcomes that would occur if there were no human intervention to address coastal hazards (beyond current interventions). • Provide advice in relation to social outcomes. It is not the purpose of this SIA to determine what intervention should be undertaken in relation to the social outcomes identified. This will be part of the broader strategy development. The International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA) has defined social impact assessment as “the processes of analysing, monitoring and managing the intended and unintended social consequences, both positive and negative, of planned interventions (policies, programs, plans, projects) and any social change processes invoked by those interventions”. IAIA determine what is considered social impact by: • People’s way of life – how they live, work, play and interact with one another on a day-to- day basis. • Their culture – their shared beliefs, customs, values and language or dialect. • Their community – its cohesion, stability, character, services and facilities. • Their political systems – the extent to which people are able to participate in decisions that affect their lives, the level of democratisation that is taking place, and the resources provided for this purpose. • Their environment – the quality of the air and water people use; the availability and quality of the food they eat; the level of hazard or risk, dust and noise they are exposed to; the adequacy of sanitation; their physical safety; and their access to and control over resources. • Their health and wellbeing – health is a state of complete physical, mental, social and spiritual wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. • Their personal and property rights – particularly whether people are affected economically or experience personal disadvantage which may include a violation of their civil liberties. • Their fears and aspirations – their perceptions about their safety, their fears about the future of their community, and their aspirations for their future and that of their children. Typically, an SIA is used as a baseline assessment and impact prediction mechanism and decision- making tool. However, as is the case with this assessment, SIA has an important role in contributing to the on-going management of social issues throughout the entire period of the intervention. Specifically, the Wharekawa Coast 2120 SIA will identify social issues, concerns

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