Ohope's West End and Mount Maunganui Main Beach are identified as the region's ‘nursery breaks' following the Bay of Plenty Regional Council hosted surf workshops.

A Bay of Plenty Regional Council workshop has identified Mount Maunganui Main Beach as one of two important surf spots in the region.

The two workshops held last week, one at Mount Maunganui and the other at Whakatane, were attended by surfers, lifeguards, business people and tangata whenua.

They were there to discuss what environmental factors are important to having good quality surf break – the aim of a concurrent study being undertaken by Lincoln University student Bailey Peryman.

Regional council planner Matt Skellern says the meetings went well.

'Consultation with users and different sectors of the community on what surf breaks mean to them is an integral part of the study,” says Matt.

'The workshops demonstrated how surf breaks not only support the Bay's surf culture and lifestyle, but also support other users who enjoy them.

'Surf breaks are valued by people who simply enjoy watching the waves, or surfers out in the surf, which forms part of the coastal landscape.

'These activities make the Bay an attractive place to live, and also contribute toward the local economy and generate tourism for the region.”

Seventeen of the country's surf breaks were protected in the New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement 2010, which came into effect in December.

No Bay of Plenty surf breaks were included.

The statement made surf breaks part of the natural character of the coastal environment and councils must now give effect to this policy in their plans under the Resource Management Act.

The identification of Ohope's West End and the Mount Maunganui Main Beach as ‘nursery breaks' means they are places enjoyed by many surfers of all ages and levels. Surf competitors often have a home break where they gain an intricate understanding of the surf break's wave dynamics to practise their skills.

'The Bay's ‘nursery breaks' have produced many national champions over the years,” says Matt.

'Nursery breaks are also places for family and friends to simply share in the fun of playing in the surf.”

The study seeks to understand how surf breaks are perceived as community assets.

It will include criteria to determine the values and characteristics of surf breaks, to identify what makes them outstanding in terms of natural character and why they are significant to the Bay of Plenty.