Boat ramp charges pruned to five areas

By TONY GEE

KAIKOHE - A new maritime facilities and charging regime is about to be introduced at harbours and bays around the Far North coast.

But controversial trailer boat launching ramp charges, earlier proposed for recreational boat owners at 25 district council ramps, have been dropped at all but five locations in the Bay of Islands and Whangaroa areas.

Two bylaws approved by the Far North District Council will usher in changes to the management and funding of the district's maritime facilities following recommendations by a maritime task group after public consultation.

Both the maritime facilities bylaw, which sets user-pays charges for commercial and non-commercial boats at council wharves, pontoons, grids and launching ramps, and a mooring charges bylaw are scheduled to take effect on August 1.

Under the facilities bylaw, commercial vessels like fishing, charter, tourist boats and ferries will pay charges for using any of 25 council-owned wharves and jetties, as well as launching ramps, according to their size or number of passengers.

Recreational (non-commercial) boat owners however will pay trailer boat launching ramp charges only at Totara North and Ratcliffe Bay (Whangaroa), Waipapa, Opito Bay and Kaimarama Bay (Rawhiti).

The charges are $45 a year or $4 daily under a sticker and coupon system.

Ramp use charges may also be made later this year at Waitangi after discussions with the Waitangi National Trust, and on ramps at Doves Bay (Kerikeri) and at Opua if their non-council owners agree.

The council-owned local authority trading company Far North Holdings Ltd is expected to assume and oversee management of all Far North maritime facilities in consultation with local community boards, groups or committees specified by the council.

The company will also become responsible for costs associated with six large council wharves - Russell, Waitangi (50 per cent), Totara North, Mangonui, Unahi and Pukenui.

The mooring charge bylaw reduces the district council's annual mooring owner's fee to $21.25 for each of the 1859 moorings in the district. For the 11-month period from August 1 until June 30, 2001, the charge will be $19.50.

Council agreement on the changes is not unanimous however. Kaikohe councillor Laurie Byers described the bylaws and a long accompanying report as "80 pages of bureaucracy to launch a boat."

"We spent $50,000 promoting the Far North for tourism. Now wait and see the shambles that will result [from the bylaws]."

Maritime task group chairman and Kerikeri councillor Robert Lowe said there had been broad acceptance of charges where improved facilities were available or where new facilities were sought, but trailer boat owners would resist paying on ramps in isolated areas or where there were no improvements.

Charge enforcement costs would be high in these places and there were no plans to impose them there.