Environment Waikato Technical Report 2006/12 Coromandel/Firth of Thames Integrated Coastal Planning Project Prepared by: Beca Carter Hollings & Ferner Ltd For: Environment Waikato PO Box 4010 HAMILTON EAST ISSN: 1172-4005 July 2005 Document #: 1039870 Scoping Study Coromandel/Firth of Thames Integrated Coastal Planning Project Prepared for Environment Waikato and partner agencies By Beca Carter Hollings & Ferner Ltd July 2005 4210581/100 Final ■ O1:8088 COROMANDEL/FIRTH OF THAMES INTEGRATED COASTAL PLANNING PROJECT - SCOPING STUDY Revision History – Final Revision Nº Prepared By Description Date A Cushla Loomb Draft for internal Peer Review 03/05/05 Lucy Brake B Lucy Brake Draft for internal Approval 04/05/05 Draft Lucy Brake Draft for Client comment 06/05/05 Final Lucy Brake Final 28/06/05 Document Acceptance – Final Action Name Signed Date Prepared by Lucy Brake 28/06/05 Reviewed by Don Lyon 28/06/05 Approved by John Duffy 28/06/05 on behalf of Beca Carter Hollings & Ferner Ltd 4210581/100 Beca Page i ::ODMA\PCDOCS\EWDOCS\1039870\1 Final July 2005 COROMANDEL/FIRTH OF THAMES INTEGRATED COASTAL PLANNING PROJECT - SCOPING STUDY Table of Contents 1 Executive Summary................................................................................... 1 2 Introduction ................................................................................................ 5 2.1 Study Purpose..................................................................................................6 2.2 Study Area .......................................................................................................7 2.3 Format of Report..............................................................................................8 3 Coastal Management ............................................................................... 9 3.1 Statutory Coastal Management ....................................................................9 3.2 Strategic Coastal Planning...........................................................................11 3.3 Integrated Coastal Management ...............................................................17 3.4 Local Coastal Planning Model ....................................................................18 4 Lessons Learned....................................................................................... 20 4.1 Summary of Lessons for ICP Project ............................................................26 5 A Strategic Planning Framework for Integrated Coastal Planning .................................................................................................... 28 6 Coromandel/Firth of Thames .................................................................. 29 6.1 Overview........................................................................................................29 6.2 Population Growth and Demand ................................................................30 6.3 Resource Use and Development ................................................................31 6.4 Infrastructure..................................................................................................33 6.5 Natural Character/Landscape....................................................................34 6.6 Natural Heritage/Biodiversity.......................................................................35 6.7 Community well-being/Sense of Place/Heritage .....................................36 6.8 Recreation/Access .......................................................................................37 6.9 Cultural Values ..............................................................................................40 6.10 Environmental Quality ..................................................................................41 6.11 Coastal Hazards ............................................................................................43 7 Sub-Catchments ...................................................................................... 45 4210581/100 Beca Page i ::ODMA\PCDOCS\EWDOCS\1039870\1 Final July 2005 COROMANDEL/FIRTH OF THAMES INTEGRATED COASTAL PLANNING PROJECT - SCOPING STUDY 7.1 Overview........................................................................................................45 7.2 The Plains and Southern Firth .......................................................................46 7.3 Firth of Thames and Western Coromandel.................................................48 7.4 Northern Tip of the Peninsula .......................................................................50 7.5 North-Eastern Coast......................................................................................53 7.6 South-Eastern Coast......................................................................................55 8 Cluster Policy Areas................................................................................. 58 9 Local Coastal Planning Areas................................................................. 60 9.1 Local Coastal Plans.......................................................................................60 9.2 LCP Area Identification.................................................................................60 9.3 Prioritisation of LCP areas .............................................................................62 10 Recommended Way Forward ................................................................ 65 10.1 Preferred Strategy Approach.......................................................................65 10.2 Suggested Governance Approach ............................................................66 10.3 Addressing Information Gaps......................................................................67 11 Work Plan.................................................................................................. 70 11.1 Work Plan: Stage One (total 3 months) ......................................................70 11.2 Work Plan: Stage Two (total 24-36 months)................................................70 12 Acknowledgements ................................................................................ 73 Appendices Appendix 1 - Project Linkages Appendix 2 - ICP Position Statements Appendix 3 - LCP Area Descriptions Appendix 4 – Example of LCP Area Concept Map Appendix 5 - Bibliography 4210581/100 Beca Page ii ::ODMA\PCDOCS\EWDOCS\1039870\1 Final July 2005 COROMANDEL/FIRTH OF THAMES INTEGRATED COASTAL PLANNING PROJECT - SCOPING STUDY List of Plates & Figures Figure 1: Map showing study area..........................................................................................7 Figure 2: Planning Framework of the RMA...........................................................................10 Plate 1: Example of natural heritage and landscapes in the Coromandel/Firth of Thames (New Chums Beach) ....................................................................................................13 Plate 2: Te Kouma provides an important location for the aquaculture industry in the study area..............................................................................................................................13 Plate 3: Whitianga is a main settlement within the study area.............................................15 Figure 3: Examples of issues the ICP project could address (in blue) and already being addressed by other projects (green) ...........................................................................18 Figure 4: Suggested Planning Framework for ICP Project...................................................28 Plate 4: Part of the Coromandel/Firth of Thames coastal environment ...............................29 (Ruffin Peninsula).................................................................................................................29 Plate 5: Waikawau, a small settlement on the west coast. ..................................................31 Plate 6: The coastal waters are an important part of resource use in the Coromandel/Firth of Thames ........................................................................................................................32 Plate 7: Oamaru Bay, a range of infrastructure services provided within the coastal environment .................................................................................................................33 Plate 8: Islands have a high natural biodiversity value ........................................................35 Plate 9: Oamaru Bay demonstrates a number of factors that define a community's 'sense of place'............................................................................................................................37 Plate 10: Whitianga Waterways development enhances recreational boating access ........38 Plate 11: Te Puru Boat Ramp provides access to the coast................................................39 Plate 12: Many natural and man-made components contribute to the quality of the environment in Waikawau Bay.....................................................................................41 Plate 13: Cooks Beach has a range of examples of erosion protection structures..............43 Figure 5: Suggested Sub-Catchment Areas .........................................................................45 Plate 14: Kaiaua: a small settlement within the Plans and Southern Firth Sub-Catchment.46 Plate 15: There are modified coastlines within this sub-catchment, for example Kaiaua.....47 Plate 16: Te Kouma: a settlement on West Coast of Coromandel