March 16, 2016
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Underwater world unmasked Scores of people have been getting up close to local marine life during Seaweek events throughout Mahurangi. More than 70 people donned snorkels and flippers for a community guided snorkelling day at Tawharanui on Saturday March 5. Strong swells meant the event had to be moved from the marine reserve, off the peninsula’s northern beaches, to the more sheltered Jones Bay, but participants were rewarded with sightings of a largebellied seahorse, several pipefish and a two metre-long short-tailed stingray. Meanwhile, children and families took part in rock pool tours, a beach clean up challenge and a ‘Fishy Dress Up’ competition at the Goat Island Marine Discovery Centre’s Seaweek Fun Day the following day.
Te Arai details emerge as hearings near Details of a proposed development at Te Arai South are taking shape, with developers offering a trade-off – a 200-hectare subdivision with up to 60 houses and a 230ha sand mining zone, for 175ha of public coastal reserve. The sand mine would be one of the largest in the Auckland region and could include a pipeline to transport sand to an offshore shipping hub to reduce truck movements. On the other hand, the development could help create a 451ha regional park and
an unbroken 15km stretch of publicly owned coastline. Details of the proposal have been revealed in evidence lodged to the Unitary Plan Independent Hearings Panel ahead of hearings this month. The panel is considering a submission lodged by the Te Arai South Joint Venture, involving the Ngati Manuhiri Settlement Trust and Darby Partners. The proposal would enable 753ha of land at Te Arai South, also known as Mangawhai South Forest, to be
developed without a publicly notified resource consent. In written evidence submitted to the panel last month, Boffa Miskell planner and director Peter Hall said the Joint Venture would prefer to ship the sand from the sand mine to reduce disruption caused by trucks. Sand would be transported in “vessels” via a pipeline to an “offshore pickup location”, Mr Hall said. “The Te Arai South Forest land holds
permits for the largest high-quality sand resource in Auckland, suitable for glass and concrete production in support of Auckland’s growth and development,” Mr Hall said in his evidence. There is an existing sand mining permit for the area and a resource consent for 20 per cent of the area. Darby Partners representative Jim Castiglione said any mining would be in comparatively small areas at any one time. continued page 3
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