Tauranga HarbourWatch Inc. strongly opposes Tauranga Bridge Marina Company's application to the Regional Council to build a 245 metre breakwater. This construction would halve the tidal inflow and outflow channel of the whole southern harbour. This channel has already over the years been dramatically narrowed; the old aerodrome wharf causeway, the Sulphur Point port development, the causeway onto the harbour bridge and the 33 hectares of infill in the deep water tidal channel for a car park when the Tauranga Bridge Marina was built 15 years ago. The Regional Council did nothing to stop this 33 hectares of infill in a prime part of the harbour reducing the tidal flow area.
Now in 2011 The Regional Council is doing nothing to stop this huge construction rock breakwater - half the present already narrowed channel will be lost. Instead there will be a huge dead water area of 70 hectares catching outgoing sea lettuce in its arching southfacing hook.
The tidal flow will be like that at the harbour entrance - very swift - an environmental disaster.
Yet EBOP claims it can do nothing - that the RMA does not allow it to interfere -processes must be followed. This is absolute nonsense. It is EBOP's task to protect the harbour's environment ; not just monitor process and then allow private, profit driven developments.
Hylton Rhodes, Chairperson THW.