A group of Pāuanui residents has raised concerns about Tairua Harbour and flooding.
A group of Pāuanui residents has raised concerns about Tairua Harbour and flooding.
A group of Pāuanui residents wants Tairua Harbour to be dredged, saying it has become an increasingly dangerous place for boats.
Pauanui Recreation and Sports Club board member Peter Turner says the waterway has become unsafe due to flooding and shifting sands, threatening its future as a recreational hub.
“We need to get rid of the bulls**t and come up with a long-term plan for how we restore the harbour so it’s got its recreational value,” Turner told the Waikato Herald.
“There needs to be consent for dredging.”
Turner said when the area flooded, it would often leech sediment into the harbour.
Pauanui Ratepayers Association chair Bob Renton said harbour sediment buried shellfish.
In his opinion: “There’s no bl**dy selfish left in the harbour.”
Resident David Yeoman, who has lived in the area for 15 years, said the group would like to see a project similar to the Kaipara Harbour Remediation (KMR) programme carried out on the Coromandel.
The Kaipara programme is a Crown-Iwi partnership that aims to reduce harbour sediment and pollution through planting, fencing, and erosion control.
It is a decade-long, $200m initiative.
“There is no reason it could not be done here,” Yeoman said.
He also said a well-funded dredging programme would restore residents’ confidence when crossing the harbour.
“The angst is with the bar and access in and out of the harbour.”
Thames-Coromandel District Council told the Waikato Herald this week that it did not plan to dredge the harbour as the public could access the local boat ramp and jetty.
“However, we carry out dredging from time to time in response to specific concerns around access to Royal Billy Point boat ramp or the Pāuanui jetty. There is currently all-tide access to the Pāuanui jetty.”
The council last dredged in Tairua Harbour in 2022.
The Waikato Herald reported in March that at least four vessels ran aground between Tairua and Pāuanui due to a significant sandbar in the middle of the main harbour.
Sand moved naturally in tidal estuaries through the action of wind and water, Waikato Regional Council said, and the summer’s weather patterns contributed to the changes occurring in Tairua harbour.
At the time, the Thames-Coromandel District Council said it did not intend to dredge the affected area.
Several vessels grounded near Tairua earlier this year due to a sand bar in the middle of the harbour.
“[The] sand in the harbour is constantly moving. Any dredging could be undone almost as soon as it is completed, which would be a waste of ratepayers’ money.”
Waikato Regional Council official information and privacy advisor Jennie Cox said Tairua Harbour remained a council priority, focusing on landowners reducing sediment, improving water quality, and protecting biodiversity.
Remedial works had been carried out to improve channel capacity, reduce bank erosion, and remove obstructions across multiple streams and the Tairua River main channel, Cox said.
“If landowners want support through information and advice and potential subsidies, we encourage them to reach out.”
Council staff would continue to encourage local community involvement, including the potential establishment or reinstatement of a Tairua Harbour care group to coordinate practical restoration and stewardship.
Sediment and estuary health were ongoing challenges, but monitoring, on-the-ground work and community partnerships aimed to keep Tairua Harbour in good shape, Cox said.
Tom Eley is a multimedia journalist at the Waikato Herald. He previously worked for the Weekend Sun and Sunlive.
