BREAKING POINT: Taipa Bay doesn't break often but showed it held the ability to deliver the goods when Cyclone Pam rolled into town earlier this year.
Surf Protection Society (SPS) is calling for Northland surfers to unite in the campaign to have all local surfbreaks listed for protection on the Northland Regional Coastal Plan.
SPS spokesman Michael Gunson suggested surfers should continue to disagree with limiting the protected surfbreaks to just a couple of dozen on the NRCP as initially suggested by the planners.
"Our argument is that all [71] surfbreaks as listed in the New Zealand Wavetrack Guide should be protected, as the book was accepted by the Board of Inquiry to the New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement 2010 (NZCPS) as a legitimate proxy for identifying New Zealand's surfbreaks," said Gunson, and noting that regional and district councils must translate the NZCPS into their own regional and district plans by identifying those special landscape/ seascape features and character deserving protection.
Noting SPS had been unable to attend the original NRC consultation meeting hosted by council planners Michael Payne and Ben Lee on April 22 (having only received notification of that meeting 48 hours previously), Gunson with the SPS concluded a separate meeting with the NRC last month to ensure the ongoing consultation developed a rating system to assist with shortlisting surfbreaks for the draft Northland Regional Coastal Plan.
However, the November meeting had ended without resolve on how many surfbreaks should be on that list. Gunson was disappointed to learn that the goal of the ongoing consultation, as led by Payne and Lee, was to encourage local surfers to identify only the top 20 or 30 surfbreaks in all of Northland for recognition under the NRCP.
"That would give the final listed surfbreaks in the NRCP a degree of protection that 'lesser' surfbreaks will not receive. By not recognising all listed surfbreaks in the wavetrack guide - and more surfbreaks may come to light via a genuine consultation process - means that unlisted surfbreaks in the final regional coastal plan will have no protection, should a coastal development or activity take place in the Northland region," he warned. Gunson said SPS was still encouraged that NRC was seeking to include surfbreak protection in the coastal plan.
In the interim, SPS plans set up its own independent consultative group made up of surfers already on the NRC consultative group, and any others that may wish to join to demonstrate a clear resolve to the review panel that all 71 surfbreaks as listed in the Wavetrack guide were deserving of protection. Local boardriding powerbrokers have already begun hopping on the SPS campaign in force.
Tony Baker, the coach of the Northland scholastics surfing team, was unequivocal of his stance. "Count me in!" And Paul Hansen, chairman of the Ahipara-based Northern Country Boardriders Club said everyone interested in conserving the near innumerable surfbreaks across the province should "100 per cent tautoko" the kaupapa. "I think importantly, Northland being what it is, there will be highly rated waves not even on the Wavetrack record and they should be. I'm in on this!"
- The Surf Protection Society document can be viewed below. For more information, contact Michael Gunson on (022) 694-0898 and info@surfbreak.org.nz, or visit the SPS website.
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Surfbreak Protection Society
Aloha,
A number of you attended the first Northland Regional Council consultation meeting, hosted by NRC Planners Michael Payne and Ben Lee, 22nd April 2015.
SPS only received notification of that meeting 48 hours previously, and logistically, were unable to attend, SPS and NRC concluded a separate meeting in November regarding one of the aims of Michael and Ben is that consultation develop a rating system to give so as to assist with shortlisting surfbreaks for the Draft Northland Regional Coastal Plan.
The Surfbreak Protection Society (SPS) are encouraged that NRC are seeking to include surfbreak protection in their Northland Regional Coastal Plan(NRCP).
However the goal of the NRC consultation (on going), being led by Michael and Ben, is to encourage local surfers to identify the top 20 or 30 surfbreaks in all of Northland, for the purpose of recognising ONLY those breaks for the NRCP.
That would give the final listed surfbreaks in the NRCP a degree of protection that "lesser" surfbreaks will not receive.
Our November meeting with Michael and Ben ended without resolve on how many surfbreaks should be on that list.
Michael and Ben are steering the goal of council consultation toward narrowing the total number of Northland surfbreaks that should be protected. No other council in NZ thus far has taken this approach.
Our counter argument is that ALL surfbreaks as listed in the "NZ Wavetrack Guide" should be protected, as the book was accepted by the Board of Inquiry to the New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement 2010 (NZCPS) as a legitimate proxy for identifying New Zealand's Surfbreaks.
Regional and District Councils must give effect to the NZCPS, that means all councils must translate the NZCPS into their own Regional and District plans by identifying those special landscape/ seascape features and character that deserves protection.
Why should I care?
By not recognising all listed surfbreaks in the wavetrack guide (more surfbreaks may come to light via a genuine consultation process), unlisted surfbreaks in the final regional coastal plan will have no protection, should a coastal development or activity take place in the Northland Region.
SPS successfully challenged Port Otago over the Port's dredging spoil disposal activities already observed, and future potential impacts, on Otago surfbreaks Aramoana and Murderers. SPS are right now negotiating with Port Tauranga over impacts observed at the Mount and Matakana surfbreaks, with Port Tauranga dumping dredge spoil just 450 meters off Mount beaches. Matakana is also being deprived of current driven sediment due to deep water channel dredging, impacts on Matakana are presently unknown.
All those surfbreaks mentioned above are listed in draft or proposed regional policy statements for Otago or Tauranga, and has therefore given New Zealand surfers leverage in negotiation with developers.
Without that listing for Northland, surfers have very weak ground to stand on, for future activities in the Northland Region.
For example, right now, plans are afoot to dredge the entrance to Whangarei Harbour, so that ships carrying about one million barrels of crude oil can call into the Marsden Pt Oil Refinery. How will this affect the surfbreaks near Whangarei? Where will the dredge spoil be deposited? What will the future hold for the town's closest surfbreaks?
Marsden Point surfbreaks are not included in the shortlist deliberated by Michael and Ben thus far (see attached spreadsheet), yet these surfbreaks are listed in the wavetrack guide, and score highly for amenity value as they are very close to Whangarei.
What can I do?
SPS are seeking:
1. Those surfers that attended the original NRC surfers consultation meeting hosted at Whangarei last April 22nd (and any others that come forth) continue to take part in that consultation, and put their own thoughts forward as to how many surfbreaks should be listed. As a member of that group SPS will continue to disagree with limiting the surfbreaks to just a couple of dozen.
And;
2. SPS will set up it's own independent consultative group, inviting those surfers already on the NRC consultative group, and any others that may wish to join, for the purposes of demonstrating to the Coastal Regional Plan review panel, a clear resolve that all 71 surfbreaks as listed in Wavetrack be identified and listed. During our consultation more surfbreaks not even listed in the Wavetrack guide may be included.
While we can't really scan all pages of the 71 Northland surfbreaks as listed in the Wavetrack Guide and promote them on the internet (copyright) , we can promote the surfbreaks, as the 72 listed surfbreaks at; http://www.surf-forecast.com/countries/New-Zealand/breaks for reference, as they closely correspond with those listed in the Wavetrack Guide.
I understand this is a busy time of year, but at this stage all we need from you is confirmation that you will be able to participate sometime in the New Year, SPS will also be traveling North at some point in early 2016, to meet up and discuss further - if needed.
If you know of any other Northland surfers that would be interested in participating, please pass this email along.
With thanks,
Michael Gunson
Research and Communications
Surfbreak Protection Society
The items were meant to help raise funds for a Labour Weekend tournament.