Approval given for company to dispose 250,000 cubic metres of sediment annually off Auckland's Great Barrier Island

Friday, 15 February 2019

The 250,000 cubic metres of sediment will be dumped near Great Barrier Island in the Hauraki Gulf.

A disposal company has been given permission to dump 250,000 cubic metres of sediment off Auckland's Great Barrier Island every year.

The amount is enough to fill 100 Olympic swimming pools.

Coastal Resources Ltd put a resource consent application to the Environmental Protection Authority in June 2018.

It wanted to increase its existing consent of dumping 50,000 cubic metres of sediment off Great Barrier Island to 250,000 cubic metres annually.

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In a decision released on Wednesday, the EPA said it had granted the company permission to do so for 35 years, despite opposition from groups such as the Department of Conservation.

'In granting the consent, the decision-making committee set conditions which will see CRL carry out regular environmental monitoring of the site for the duration of the consent, and a requirement that the EPA, Biosecurity New Zealand, Auckland Council, Waikato Regional Council and Northland Regional Council be notified within 48 hours of any biosecurity risk.'

Committee members Mark Farnsworth, Basil Morrison and Gillian Wratt said the potential adverse effects the sediment may cause would be restricted to the northern disposal area.

They also said the proposed operational procedures, mitigation measures and conditions would ensure the biological diversity of marine species, ecosystems and processes in the Hauraki Gulf.

That would mean the wider coastal and offshore environment would be protected.

The committee said CRL was required to adhere to a number of other legislative regimes that relate to health and safety and environmental protection.

'These will further protect the environment and minimise any potential for adverse effects from the disposal activity.'

Approval of the consent was opposed by groups including the Department of Conservation, Ngāti Tamatera Treaty Settlement Trust, Native by Nature and the Great Barrier Island Local Board.

The decision report said those who opposed the application did so for uncertainty of information in the application and 'significant adverse effects' on the high value ecological and marine environments.

There was also concerns in regard to the lack of appropriate consideration of cultural values and the impacts associated with the proposed dumping.

EPA said the consent would come into effect immediately, provided no appeal was lodged.