Bremen University student investigates Tauranga harbour proposal

Intercoast Programme member and University of Bremen doctoral student Lisa Marquardt is spending nine months in New Zealand investigating current proposals to dredge Tauranga Harbour and the processes involved in making a decision.

She is part of a group of students on the Intercoast Programme, a partnership between the Universities of Waikato and Bremen in Germany to study the marine systems of the Bay of Plenty and better understand the significant changes taking place in our coastal environment.

German Ties

Marquardt's background in economics and marine resources and her interest in environmental issues prompted her to combine her research between Germany and the Bay of Plenty. Regional and environmental authorities here are in negotiation over proposals to dredge shipping channels in Tauranga Harbour. Similar negotiations are in progress in Hamburg, where, like Tauranga, the port authority wants to deepen its access shipping channel in readiness for the likelihood of larger ships, carrying up to 10,000 containers and more, in the future. Currently ships freight around 6,000 containers on average.

To allow for a draught of up to 13.5 metres (Hamburg) and 14.5 metres (Tauranga), both harbours would need to be dredged by up to three meters.

“The proposed dredging activities are the subject of hot debates in both countries, as the long-term impacts upon the environment are difficult to predict,” says Ms Marquardt. “Opponents of the dredging fear it might lead to the destruction of valuable natural habitats for pipi and other important species. Degradation of water quality and changes of sedimentation and flood processes are other potential issues.”

Despite approval from the Bay of Plenty Regional Council last year, the proposal is currently in front of the Environment Court, following an appeal by local iwi and legal hearings in April. As well as a loss of pipi beds, iwi are concerned about possible impacts of the dredging upon Kaimoana, the sedimentation and erosion of beaches and shorelines, and the stability of significant cultural sites such as Panepane and Mauao.

“I’m looking at the processes involved in making these decisions because there are a lot of environmental issues involved here. New Zealand is reliant on exports and imports, and port authorities around the country are clamouring for a bigger slice of the market. You’ve got to question the environmental damage that could cause if all ports were able to dredge their shipping channels. How does New Zealand measure the necessity of this kind of action? And should it become a national decision rather than a decision to be made by individual regional authorities?”

With far stricter conservation legislation and different legal processes, the proposal has been dragging on for five years in Germany, yet Ms Marquardt says the case involves similar issues of local authorities making decisions which are of national consequence.

International Comparisons

Her research will compare the German and New Zealand processes, looking in particular at public consultation and the input sought from potentially affected parties, and the criteria upon which decisions are made.

“I want to critically assess the administrative procedures and legal requirements in order to seek improvements to the legal systems. It is a less complex system here, but, for example, there is no requirement to look seriously at the alternatives to development, such as dredging to a lesser depth, or collaborating with other port authorities.”

She says New Zealand has such abundant resources it hasn’t yet faced the kind of environmental pressures seen in Europe.

“Until now, environmental law here has focussed on conservation and the wilderness, rather than the impacts of humans but the importance of environmental sustainability is gaining a lot of momentum. It’s time for the law to catch up.”

Intercoast is a multidisciplinary programme including natural science, social science and law students. Projects include looking at the impacts of harbour development on ecosystems, protection and utilisation of the harbour and coastline, sediment studies as well as the legal issues surrounding coastal and marine resources, and the social changes taking place in coastal communities.

Similar research will be conducted around the North Sea in Germany as both marine systems face similar pressures from rapid population increase, commercial development and recreational usage. The projects aim to provide long-term data modelling and impact analysis to aid decision making by regional and environmental planners.