BEFORE THE CANTERBURY REGIONAL COUNCIL and the CITY COUNCIL

UNDER THE Resource Management Act 1991

IN THE MATTER of Applications by CHRISTCHURCH CITY COUNCIL and the WAIREWA RUNANGA INC in relation to Artificial openings of Te Roto o Wairewa/

EVIDENCE FOR THE APPLICANTS KELLY MAREE HANSEN

INTRODUCTION

Qualifications and role

1. My name is Kelly Maree Hansen. I have a Master of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management qualification from Lincoln University and have worked the last 16 years for the Christchurch City Council (CCC).

2. My present title is Senior Recreation Planner in the Operations Group’s Parks and Facilities Planning Team of CCC. This involves identifying the community's outdoor recreation and sport needs, and planning for the provision of parks and associated facilities to meet those needs. It includes the preparation of park network plans, management plans, and capital development plans.

3. I wrote the Recreation Assessment for the lake opening application, which is included as Appendix 2 of the application document.

4. This evidence covers: Recreation Setting Recreation Activities Recreation Experience

Considerations for Recreation Comments on Submissions Conclusion References

5. I have read the Code of Conduct for Expert Witnesses contained in the Environment Court Practice Note 2014. I agree to comply with this Code of Conduct. This evidence is within my area of expertise, except where I state I am relying on what I have been told by another person. I have not omitted to consider material facts known to me that might alter or detract from the opinions that I express.

Recreation Setting

6. The area incorporating Wairewa/Lake Forsyth and the adjacent Birdlings Flat, Bossu Road, and the Little River Rail Trail offers a range of recreation opportunities. It is a recreation destination particularly for local, Christchurch, and Canterbury residents, and is a popular stopping point for people travelling to / .

7. The setting for this recreation area has mixed land uses, mainly primary production, farming, and horticulture with some tourist and visitor attractions. There are a network of services and facilities, roads, power lines, buildings, and small population centres.

8. Despite modifications, the area retains aspects of its natural character, particularly at the Birdlings Flat beach where visitors have an opportunity to see and experience the forces of nature. The wild exposed beach and surrounding scenery are important aspects of the recreation setting.

9. A network of roads services the area. There is easy foot and bike access along the Little River Rail Trail on the north western side of the lake and onto the beach at Birdlings Flat. The lake, beach and Bossu Road (via the causeway when available) are accessible by four wheel drive.

10. There is a moderate degree of interaction between recreational users and between different activities. Visit duration is presumed to be most commonly of day or half day length.

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11. Visitor facilities in the area are moderate and increasing. The Little River Rail Trail is a well-developed track with signage, visitor information, and basic toilet facilities. Additional visitor facilities are provided at Little River, including commercial outlets.

12. At Birdlings Flat there is a carpark, playground, toilets, interpretative and regulatory signage. The beach itself is largely undeveloped and devoid of visitor services and signage. There are informal four wheel drive tracks through the gravel and across the causeway at the end of the lake, and along the southern side of the channel. There is an unmaintained and redundant four wheel drive track beneath the cliffs. Retention of this track has become impractical as parts of the track are now hindered by rockfall or have collapsed toward the channel. Access to the track is no longer advisable given the instability of the cliffs (Yetton, 2008) and recent seismic activity.

Recreation Activities

13. A variety of recreation activities occur at the site including walking, mountain biking, four wheel driving, stone collecting, fishing, boating, game bird shooting, remote control planes, art, holidays and outings.

14. Walking is New Zealand’s most popular form of physical activity. Within the study area, the most popular sites for walking are at the Birdlings Flat beach and around the Wairewa/Lake Forsyth area with direct access from the Christchurch Akaroa Road, and the Little River Rail Trail. At present, walkers can access Bossu Road and beyond via the four wheel drive track and causeway from Birdlings Flat when the causeway is available.

15. The Southern Bays Track, a private tramping track across farm land from Little River to Birdlings Flat, is no longer operating. A potential public walking track from Birdlings Flat across private land to Oashore Bay has been proposed (Thomson, 2010) but is not currently being advanced.

16. The Lake Forsyth Loop is a recognised mountain bike ride detailed in a mountain bike guide book (Kennett, 1991). The 34 km route starts at Birdlings Flat, crosses the causeway (when available) to Bossu Road and Reynolds

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Valley Road, down to Little River and returns via the Christchurch Akaroa Road. Bossu Road also provides cycle tour access to the southern bays of Banks Peninsula.

17. Similar to mountain biking, access to Bossu Road from Birdlings Flat is detailed in a four wheel drive guide book (Sibly, 1996). Four wheel drive access is described as “tricky to impossible” across the gravel bar at the lake outlet but is now more easily available across the causeway, when in place, between the lake and the channel. Access to Bossu Road facilitates exploration of the southern bays of Banks Peninsula and access to popular surf beaches.

18. Birdlings Flat is popular with rock hounds (collectors). The beach is well known as a place to find small agates, sought-after for making jewellery, and a variety of other attractive rounded pebbles. Stones that come down from the southern rivers of Canterbury tumble along the coastal beaches until they are stopped on Birdlings Flat by the barrier of Banks Peninsula (Thornton, 1985). There is a gemstone and fossil museum at Birdlings Flat.

19. Surfcasting occurs along the Birdlings Flat beach and off the rocks at the eastern end of the beach. An online fishing magazine claims that Birdlings Flat is one of the best surfcasting beaches within easy reach of Christchurch city when conditions are favourable.

20. Wairewa/Lake Forsyth has historically been popular for brown trout and perch fishing, but is susceptible to poor water quality. Potential positive effects of lake openings include improved water quality which is particularly relevant to fishing.

21. Best fishing is in the mid October to mid January period before the lake becomes too warm or toxic. Most of the fishing is at the stream confluences or in the lower reaches of the Okuti and Okana Rivers. The National Angler Survey for the 2007-08 season estimated that 140 angler days were spent in Lake Forsyth, 920 in the Okuti River and 220 in the Okana River.

22. Perch are non-migratory and so are not directly affected by the opening regime. However any regime which reduces the risk of algal blooms will be beneficial to perch and trout.

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23. Trout migrate between the ocean and fresh water and so are more affected by opening timings. In general the longer the lake is open to the sea during October to January, the better for trout. Trout feed heavily on migratory smelt and bullies, so any opening regime that works for them, also helps trout (Millichamp, personal comments).

24. Whitebait and other fish are also caught in the lake.

25. While the eel fishery could be described as largely cultural, eeling is also noted here as a recreational pursuit. Channels are dug in the gravel at the mouth of the lake to effectively trap the eels.

26. A variety of boating occurs on the lake, e.g. kayaking and leisure craft. Speed is limited to 5 knots but speed boating has also occurred previously.

27. Wairewa/Lake Forsyth is quite important to hunters for game bird shooting with most of the activity happening at the north eastern end near the Okuti / Okana River confluences. The timing of lake openings is important to avoid a negative effect on gamebird shooting and fishing. Hunters prefer a high lake, most importantly at Opening Weekend (first Saturday in May) (Millichamp, personal comments).

28. The Christchurch Radio Fliers Club is a group of people with an interest in aero modelling and radio controlled flying aircraft. The group’s main event of the year is the Float and Field Fly-in which attracts many fliers from throughout New Zealand and is held over the last weekend in August on the shore of Wairewa/Lake Forsyth.

29. The study area inspires much creative and artistic activity such as photography, poetry, and painting. Numerous websites present photography from the area.

30. The area is a popular day trip and weekend destination 45 minutes drive from Christchurch. In addition to the activities described above, visitors picnic, play, explore the beach, enjoy the scenery, environment, and wildlife. Birdlings Flat is a popular stopover point for tours to Banks Peninsula. Holiday homes are available for hire at Birdlings Flat and at Little River. There is a campground at Okuti Valley.

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Recreation Experience

31. There is a high degree of natural environment experience throughout the study area, though the environment is generally highly modified. The unique coastal experience at the Birdlings Flat beach is highly significant.

32. There is also a high degree of rural and holiday lifestyle.

33. Varying degrees of effort and skill are required depending on the recreation activity being undertaken.

34. There is a moderate to high probability of experiencing interaction with other users throughout the study area.

Considerations for Recreation

35. Foot access to and along the beach is a key recreation opportunity to be retained. The current lake opening operation and proposed bridge has little impact on this access except at the eastern end of the beach. The groyne can make access to the rocks at the eastern end of the beach difficult, depending on levels of gravel (which frequently changes) and the need to clamber over large boulders. When the lake is open, these rocks cannot be accessed.

36. Walking, bike and four wheel drive access to Bossu Road used to be across the gravel bar at the mouth of the lake when the lake was closed. The channel now restricts access to Bossu Road when the lake is both open and closed. This is currently mitigated by the causeway, when it is in place.

37. The proposed bridge would allow permanent access to Bossu Road when the lake is open or closed thereby mitigating the effects of the channel on recreation access.

38. The natural character of the beach at Birdlings Flat is an important setting characteristic contributing to the recreation experience. The groyne and channel structures and proposed bridge may be considered by some people as a blot on an otherwise natural looking beach landscape. As such, it will have a negative

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impact on their recreation experience. The style, and location of the channel and bridge structures is important to minimise the negative impact of their appearance.

39. The proposed bridge will modify the currently undeveloped beach setting which could potentially have a negative effect on the recreation experience. To optimise the benefits of a bridge it must be constructed in sympathy with the setting. Access to it should be of existing four wheel drive standard, which I understand is the intention, and not further developed for two wheel drive vehicles. The bridge itself should be of rural off-road character.

40. The proposed bridge appears to be in sympathy with the setting. Its low profile and grey colour blend into the landscape. Vehicles accessing the bridge do not interfere with recreation on the beach. Vehicle numbers will be constrained by the unformed nature of the tracks leading to the bridge.

Comment on Submissions

41. A significant number of submitters commented on the loss of access to and from Bossu Road as a result of the canal and noted the importance of this access for recreation. These concerns will be mitigated through construction of the proposed bridge.

42. One person submitted that the canal is a barrier to recreationalists and tourists who want to visit the area. The canal does not impede access along the beach. The proposed bridge will provide improved access to Bossu Road.

43. One person submitted that there should be no further development of access to the bridge to naturally restrict the number of vehicles, thereby protecting recreation values. This will be achieved by retaining the current unformed nature of the access tracks.

Conclusion

44. Based on the considerations above, I conclude that continued use of the canal with the addition of a bridge accessible by four wheel drive vehicles will have minimum impact on recreation.

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45. All current recreation activities will be able to continue, largely unaffected.

46. The proposed bridge will provide more reliable access to Bossu Road, in keeping with the existing recreation setting, for walkers, cyclists, and four wheel drive vehicles, thereby enhancing recreation values.

Signed by:

Kelly Hansen Senior Recreation Planner Christchurch City Council 23 November 2015

References

Fishingmag.co.nz - New Zealand’s online fishing magazine. http://www.fishingmag.co.nz/surfcasting-birdlings-flat-again.htm

Fishingmag.co.nz - New Zealand’s online fishing magazine. http://www.fishingmag.co.nz/Lake-Forsyth-Trout-Fishing-Canterbury-Forsyth- Wairewa-Lake.htm

Kennett, P., S., and J. (1996) Classic New Zealand Mountain Bike Rides. 3rd edition. Wellington: The Kennett Brothers.

Millichamp, R. Fish and Game New Zealand, personal comments (2012).

Sibly, K. and Wilson, M. (1996) 4WD South Island, 77 Off Road Adventures. Christchurch: Shoal Bay Press Ltd.

Thomson, S (2010) Possible Walking and Cycling Recreation Routes Akaroa/Wairewa. Unpublished report prepared for Christchurch City Council by Peninsula Projects.

Thornton, J. (1985) Field Guide to New Zealand Geology. Auckland: Heinemann Reed.

Yetton, Dr M. (2008) Wairewa Restoration Trial Channel: Channel Erosion and Cliff Stability Issues. Unpublished report by Geotech Consulting Ltd.

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