| Waikawa Bay Plan Change Now Notified For Public Consultation 17 June 2010 Long term planning for use of water space at Waikawa Bay took a step forward this week when Marlborough District Council advertised proposed changes to the Marlborough Sounds Resource Management Plan. This plan provides the framework for the way water space within the Marlborough Sounds is managed, and against which resource consent applications for specific activities or developments are determined. Formally proposed as a ‘Private Plan Change’ by Port Marlborough, the changes are the result of ongoing discussion between swing mooring owners and applicants, Port Marlborough, the wider Waikawa community, the Harbourmaster and Council over the past two years. The aim is to balance the needs of existing mooring and berth holders, the commercial marina operator (Port Marlborough) and other commercial interests with those of tangata whenua, adjacent property owners, non-boating users of the area and all other interested parties, in an environmentally acceptable way. The plan change aims to provide long term space for all existing moorings and mooring applications within Waikawa Bay, while preventing uncontrolled sprawl of moorings across the wider bay. Under the proposed change, special ‘moorings management areas’ would be set up in the bay, largely in the same space that is presently used for moorings. These would be set back a little further from the shoreline to provide a wider clear strip of water between the shore and the nearest moorings, and there would be clear navigation channels through and around the moorings areas. Moorings in these designated areas wouldn’t need to have resource consent, but would instead be managed on a licensing system run by Council’s Moorings Manager. Mooring owners would retain ownership of their mooring structures, and licenses would be transferable so moorings could be bought and sold as at present. A special waka mooring area would be set aside between the Waikawa Bay jetty and the Arapawa Maori Rowing Club. There would be provision for people with existing mooring resource consents at Waikawa to get these consents renewed, and for people owning coastal property at Waikawa to obtain resource consents for new moorings, similar to existing circumstances. But outside of these groups, it would be difficult for people without a specific interest in Waikawa Bay to get consents for new moorings outside of the moorings areas. The proposal also addresses how best to accommodate additional marina berth capacity at Waikawa. The need for additional berths at Waikawa has been well-canvassed and Port Marlborough has received a clear message from the public and other interested parties that any expansion of the Marina should happen first in the north west area, along the coastline of The Snout, rather than in the existing undeveloped part of the Marina Zone to the north of the Waikawa Marina launching ramp breakwater. Accordingly, the Plan Change proposes extension of the Marina Zone in the North West to provide potential capacity for a further 250 marina berths. While the plan change addresses zoning of the area, a separate resource consent process would need to follow the plan change before any physical extension could be made to the marina. The plan change process provides an opportunity for all interested parties to have their say. Submissions can be made with Marlborough District Council until 24 July. To download a PDF of the Information Sheet: Private Plan Change 21, Waikawa Bay Plan - Mooring Management Areas & Marina Zone Extension - Click Here>> To download a PDF of a Map of the Waikawa Bay Proposed Plan Change - Click Here>> |
