Tikapa Moana - Hauraki Gulf State of the Environment Report JJUUNNEE 22000088 Acknowledgements This report has been prepared with the help and support of many parties. The Hauraki Gulf Forum wishes to acknowledge in particular the following persons who provided the information and expertise that made this report possible. Malene Felsing, Graeme Silver, Bill Vant, Vernon Pickett, Ian Buchanan, Nick Kim (Environment Waikato); Tim Higham (Hauraki Gulf Forum); Kath Coombes, Dominic McCarthy, Shane Kelly, Matt Baber, Alison Reid, Natasha Barrett, Vanessa Tanner, Michael Smythe, Briar Hill, Phil White, Neil Olsen, Neil Dingle, Wendy Gomwe, Grant Barnes, Liz Ross (Auckland Regional Council); Sarah Smith (Auckland City Council); Stu Rawnsley, Sonya Bissmire, Liz Jones, Brendon Gould, Victoria Allison (MAF Biosecurity); Peter Wishart, Mark White, Leigh Robcke, Lisa Madgwick, Emily Leighton (Thames Coromandel District Council); Nigel Meek, (Ports of Auckland Ltd); Michael Lindgreen (Metrowater); Tony Reidy, Paul Bickers (North Shore City Council); Craig Pratt, Ryan Bradley (Rodney District Council); Alan Moore, (Ministry of Fisheries); Sarah Sycamore, James Corbett (Manukau City Council); Antonia Nichol, Chris Green, Chris Wild, Bruce Tubb, Steve Smith (Department of Conservation); Keir Volkerling (technical officer for Laly Haddon); Bev Parslow, Joanna Wylie (Historic Places Trust); Karen Stockton (Massey University); Rochelle Constantine, Nicola Wiseman (University of Auckland); Mike Scarsbrook (NIWA); Chris Gaskin (Pterodroma Pelagics NZ); Malcolm Patterson (technical officer for Rangimarie Rawiri); Betty Williams. Project consultant: Gerard Willis (Enfocus Ltd) Project manager: Tim Higham Key to acronyms and abbreviations AMA Aquaculture management area ARC Auckland Regional Council BOD Biochemical oxygen demand CCP-NZ Communities for Climate Protection New Zealand CHI Cultural Heritage Inventory DoC Department of Conservation EW Environment Waikato GHG Greenhouse gases HPT Historic Places Trust MFish Ministry of Fisheries NIWA National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research QMS Quota Management System RMA Resource Management Act TCDC Thames Coromandel District Council 2004 Report The Hauraki Gulf State of the Environment Report 2004 ISBN: 978-1-877483-29-5 DISCLAIMER: While Forum members and their consultants have exercised all reasonable skill and care in controlling the contents of information contained in this report, they accept no liability in contract, tort or otherwise howsoever, for any loss, damage, injury or expense (whether direct, indirect or consequential) arising out of the provision of this information or its use by you. Chairman’s Foreword It is with great pleasure that one of my first responsibilities as the new Chair of the Hauraki Gulf Forum is to introduce this, the second Hauraki Gulf State of the Environment Report. It is three years since the Forum issued its first state of the environment report. Throughout that period, the Forum parties have individually and collectively worked to recognise and protect the values and opportunities offered by the extraordinary stretch of water that is the Hauraki Gulf. Despite the good work, as this report shows, the challenges continue. In some cases they are greater than ever. This report reinforces the critical need for the Gulf Forum. It shows how the quality and sustainability of the Gulf’s environment is dependent on so many agencies and, importantly, on those agencies working together in an informed and collaborative manner. From my perspective, this is an enormously important document. Not only does it disclose, as best we currently can, what the environment of the Gulf is really like and in so doing inform and educate the Gulf community, but it also serves to focus the Forum members on the challenges that lie ahead and on the interdependencies of our actions. This report, like the last, will be used to help the Forum target priorities (including research and monitoring) for the next three years. The first (2004) State of the Gulf Report was a mammoth account of all we knew at that time about the Gulf. While that was an impressive effort, we have deliberately taken a different approach this time around. This report is less of an encyclopaedia and more of an “update”. It is briefer and, we trust, more accessible. Where readers are interested in greater background and context to an issue they should refer back to the 2004 report. Whilst this report has a sharper focus than the earlier report it has nevertheless involved considerable work by many people and I thank them all for their contributions. I have no doubt that the future management of the Gulf will be better for their input. John Tregidga Chair, Hauraki Gulf Forum Contents Executive summary...................................................................................................................i 1 Introduction .....................................................................................................................7 1.1 Purpose of the Report..........................................................................................................................7 1.2 Report structure and format.................................................................................................................8 2 Driving forces................................................................................................................10 2.1 Demographic change.........................................................................................................................10 2.2 The wealth factor ...............................................................................................................................11 3 Flushed away?..............................................................................................................13 3.1 Pressures...........................................................................................................................................13 3.2 Responses.........................................................................................................................................25 3.3 Conclusions .......................................................................................................................................30 4 Still a picture post card?................................................................................................32 4.1 Pressures...........................................................................................................................................32 4.2 State of our coastal margin................................................................................................................34 4.3 Responses.........................................................................................................................................42 4.4 Conclusions .......................................................................................................................................45 5 A place for our treasures?.............................................................................................47 5.1 Pressures...........................................................................................................................................47 5.2 State...................................................................................................................................................52 5.3 Responses.........................................................................................................................................61 5.4 Conclusions .......................................................................................................................................65 6 Enough for everyone?...................................................................................................67 6.1 Pressures...........................................................................................................................................67 6.2 State of the Gulf’s resources .............................................................................................................73 6.3 Responses.........................................................................................................................................74 6.4 Conclusions .......................................................................................................................................78 7 Links to the past?..........................................................................................................80 7.1 Pressures...........................................................................................................................................80 7.2 State of the Gulf’s resources .............................................................................................................83 7.3 Responses.........................................................................................................................................84 7.4 Conclusions .......................................................................................................................................86 8 Forces beyond our control? ..........................................................................................88 8.1 Pressures...........................................................................................................................................88 8.2 State