Welcome Bay's mangroves are going to be permitted to grow for another season without facing the mulcher.
The Environment BOP mulching programme has bitten off more than it can chew and the council this week admitted clearing mangroves is tougher than expected.

Welcome bay mangroves are being left to grow.

"A lot of progress had been made around Tauranga Harbour but it has taken longer than we expected due to the machine being slightly slower than we had anticipated, but also as there are greater areas of mangroves being cleared," says Environment BOP estuary care officer Braden Rowson.
"The most recent 2007 aerial photography was used to measure the areas but this just goes to show how quickly they can spread in the right conditions."
They will be unable to complete all the sites before the end of August when mulching has to stop for the year due to bird breeding season.
"The machinery will start work again in the new year for the Waikareao, Waimapu, and Welcome Bay estuaries as well as Morton Prestige," says Braden.
The admission is a blow for the Welcome Bay coast care group which has worked long and hard for an officially approved mangrove cull.
Chairman of the Welcome Bay care group Tony Johnson says they have been fighting since 2003 for mechanical mangrove mulching since 2003.
"We are not happy about it at all, we should have been one of the first cabs off the rank," says Tony.
"It was all supposed to happen by the end of July, even though they have extended mulching to August it is still not going to happen in the Welcome Bay estuary."
There have been hints for months that the cull would be delayed, says Tony.
They heard the mulching is slower than expected, partly because the mulcher got stuck in the mudflats a couple of times and had to be rescued - but nothing from Environment BOP.
"They haven't been very good in contacting the local public."