Newsletter of the New Zealand Coastal Society: a Technical Group of IPENZIssue 28 • March 2005

ISSN 1172-6938

Coastal news

Contents

Artificial Reefs OfferCoastal Protection 1

Editorial 4

2005 NZCS ConferenceKeynote Speaker- Dr Robert Dean 5

Prediction ofContaminant Buildupin Estuaries 6

What’s Hot onthe Web 7

Auckland’s SandSources underClose Scrutiny 8

NZCS ManagementCommittee 9

Coastal Research inNZ Universities 10

Student Scholarships 11

Word from the Chair 12

Saving NZ Penguins 12

Profile: Jenni Fitzgerald 13

Sandy Bits 13

News from the Regions 14

Profile: André LaBonté 17

NZCS RegionalCoordinators 17

Rabbit and HareControl in NZ’s CoastalEnvironment 18

Conferences andWorkshops 19

NZCS Conference2005 Poster 20

www.coastalsociety.org.nz

Love them or hate them artificial reefs arebeginning to make waves in the area of coastalmanagement in New Zealand and around theworld as Shaw Meads of ASR Ltd explains.

The Artificial Reefs Program's (ARP)research into offshore coastal protection hascome a long way since its inception in 1995.The progression from the preliminaryresearch into the various concepts thatcomprise multi-purpose reefs, through tothe present worldwide projects and re-direction to this form of management forexposed coasts has been extremely rapid.During the last 10 years a transition inattitudes has occurred from disbelief tocommon acceptance and there is now ageneral understanding of the fact that "ifyou block the waves on a reef offshore, thebeach will be protected". Indeed, there is anincreasing number of reef initiativesproceeding around the world includingEurope, USA, South America as well asAustralasia.

From a basic point of view, it's not newtechnology; the undergraduate's coastaloceanography 'bible', "Beach Processes andSedimentation", describes the use ofsubmerged reefs early in the 20th century,and the Japanese have been using simplesubmerged structures for coastal protectionfor over 20 years. Just as groynes have beendescribed as 'mimicking' the headlandsbetween beaches, submerged reefs thatprotect the coast are found wherever the

Artificial Reefs Offer Coastal Protection

geology and the wave climate is conducive,on a variety of scales. However, things haveprogressed significantly in the past decade,especially in the area of functional design.

Ongoing research on artificial reefs has ledto new understanding of local influences ofsubmerged reefs in many aspects of coastalprocesses. Advances in design, from theredirection of waves to control coastalerosion when it is not possible to break themon the reef, to ensuring that each section ofthe waves that break on a reef optimize thesurfing experience, are now possible. Andthe research is continuing, not only here inNew Zealand, but worldwide.

Aspects such as how to optimize the coastalprotection by the distance a structure isplaced offshore in comparison to its along-shore dimensions; the maximum tolerancesthat can be constructed without distortingwaves; and fabrication of custom made sand-filled containers are all currently beinginvestigated.

ASR Ltd is currently investigating theimpacts on wave energy transmission withrespect to the combination of reef slope, crestwidth and crest depth. ASR Ltd is alsocarrying out research into amalgamating thedesign shapes with the engineering andmaterials restrictions, and fine-tuning theinshore ends of reefs that incorporate surfingamenity to ensure that the wave breaks witha form that allows surfers to exit from the

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An artificial reef is scheduled to be built at MountMaunganui this year to enhance the alreadypopular surf

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Coastal News No. 282

'tube' without getting 'pinched' when the swell'sconducive to the generation high-quality surfingwaves.

One of the driving influences behind theincreasing interest and usage of multi-purposesubmerged reefs for coastal protection is the largesocio-economic value that wide sandy beachesprovide. The value of the coast is now startingto be realized in a far broader sense than it hasbeen in the past, and ways of considering the'Total Economic Value' of beaches are beingdeveloped. A very good case study of a successfulmulti-purpose reef is the Narrowneck reef onQueensland's Gold Coast.

The Gold Coast is Australia's primary touristdestination, with its wide sandy beaches being amajor attraction. The erosion problem on the

Gold Coast was confined to ahotspot at Narrowneck, where onlythe coastal road separates theBroadwater from the sea. Thiscauseway was breached severaltimes in the previous century andcoastal protection was proposed aspart of the Gold Coast BeachProtection Strategy to address thisproblem. The Gold Coast has apredominant southeasterly swelldirection, which results in large netsediment transport in one direction(~500,000 m3/yr to the north),although reversals of sedimenttransport direction occur frequently.

Traditional coastal protectionmethods were considered (e.g.groynes, tipped rock revetments,etc.), however, a socio-economicassessment found that for everydollar spent on enhancing the beach,$60-80 was returned via tourism.Consequently, an offshore-

submerged reef was proposed and design workswere undertaken. The aims of the project were(a) to widen the beach and dunes along SurfersParadise Esplanade; and (b) to improve the surfingclimate at Narrowneck.

A comprehensive field program was undertaken,with the results being utilised for reef design andsediment transport modelling (i.e. to assess thefunctional performance of the reef). The resultingfinal design was a 120,000 m3 submerged reef.The Narrowneck submerged reef has been hugelysuccessful at retaining sand nourishment materialpumped onto Surfer's Paradise Beach from theBroadwater. Argus coastal imaging has shownthat wave energy is dissipated by the reef for upto 90% of the time and that Narrowneck reef isan erosion control point on the coast.

Figure 3: Natural coastal protection (a salient) formation in the lee of a submerged reef at Opito Bay, Coromandel(left). Sediment evolution modelling was used to simulate the formation of the salient at Opito Bay. RTK surveysof the bathymetry and beach were used to first calibrate and then verify the modelling (right).

Figure 2: Simple submerged reefs used for coastal protection in Japan.The similarity with the St Claire, Dunedin, situation is striking - witha thorough understanding of the site and incorporation of surfing amenityto mitigate where it already exists, submerged reefs could be a viableoption to retain beach sand at the western end of St Claire.

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Figure 5: The Narrowneck multi-purpose reef. Clockwise from top left, colonization of the reef has resulted in adive-trail; before and after reef construction (construction commenced in August 1999); surfing on the reef; andthe view from the surf.

The Gold Coast reef has been a hugesuccess, not only in terms of coastalprotection, but also providing asurfing facility (recent reportsdescribe the reef as the 'best surfingspot on the coast') and a 'natural' reefecosystem that supports a dive trail.An important outcome of the projectwas the confirmation (via beachprofile monitoring and Argus coastalimaging) of no downdrift impactson the coast.

In 2000, the Narrowneck reef projectwon the prestigious QueenslandState environmental award. Recentre-assessment of the economicimpacts of the reef has confirmed abenefit:cost ratio of 70:1. Thenumerical model simulations haverecently been confirmed by the on-going monitoring of the reef, whichshows that the extent of the salientcreated by the Narrowneck reef isvery similar to what was predicted.

Construction of New Zealand's firstmulti-purpose reef at MountMaunganui is due to commence

in 2005. A comprehensive monitoring programmewill be undertaken in conjunction with a localtertiary institute.

For further information contact Shaw Mead(s.mead@asrltd.co.nz) or Kerry Black, ASR Ltd,PO Box 67, Raglan.

Figure 4: 3-dimensional representation of the Narrowneckmulti-purpose reef design (top). A view of SurfersParadise with the multi-purpose reef in the foreground(bottom).

CoastalNews

Coastal News No. 284

The views expressed by the authors of articles published in Coastal News are not necessarily thoseof the New Zealand Coastal Society or the Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand.

The Coastal News merely provides a forum for discussion. We appreciate all contributions and wouldlike to thank all of the authors in this edition.

If you would like to contribute an article, news item or conference announcement to Coastal News,see the guide for contributors on page 16.

At 00:59 GMT 26 December 2004 the world wasshaken in more ways than one when anearthquake, magnitude 9 on the Richter scale,occurred of northern Sumatra. Although thequake itself, the fifth largest since 1900, didflatten buildings on the nearby island it wasthe resulting tsunami, which devastated areasof the Indian Ocean and the Andaman Seasending shock waves around the world.

In fact, the resulting disasteris thought to be the greatestaffecting coastal regions inrecent history surpassingeven the devastation of the1971 Bangladesh cyclonethat claimed over 140,000lives.

Months later ripples are still being felt inpolitical and coastal management/researchcircles around the world as the realization thatsuch an event could happen to any coastlinein the world came in the aftermath of thedisaster.

Even in New Zealand the Boxing Day tsunamihas brought data and tsunami anecdotesfloating to the surface about our country’s tidalwave history while local government is awashwith tsunami reports for each coastal region.

Geological research using sediment samplinghas found that since the signing of the Treatyof Waitangi New Zealand has experiencedseven reasonable-sized tsunamis, as well asdozens of moderate tidal waves around thecountry.

The most recent fatal tsunami which occurredin the Chatham Islands on August 15, 1868resulted in an entire village being destroyed.

In May of 1877 3.7 m waves were measured atPort Chalmers while 6 m waves pounded theChatham Islands in July 1924.

Giant 15.3 m waves washed over the land inthe Hawke's Bay during February 1931.Gisborne experienced two tsunami in the sameyear, when in March 1947 10 m waves wreakedhavoc along the coast and then again in Maywhere 6 m waves occurred along the easterncoast.

EditorialAround 7 pm on May 25 1960 tidal waves risingand falling up to 16 feet (4.9 m) lashed theeastern coast of New Zealand triggered by amagnitude 9.5 in Chile 12 hours earlier, thebiggest quake since records began. One witnessdescribed waves rushing ashore at great speeds,up over the streets, tearing boats from theirmoorings and then receding so far that a 120-year-old shipwreck was exposed.

Although most of thetsunamis experiencedalong the New Zealandcoast corresponded withseismic events off shoreand overseas, tidal wavesare not only created byearthquakes. In a reportundertaken for

Environment Bay of Plenty and EnvironmentWaikato, NIWA suggested the greatest risk tothe Bay of Plenty was from tsunamis originatingfrom events such as an eruption of Tuhua(Mayor Island) or activity in the Taupo VolcanicZone. The resulting tidal waves could reachthe coast in 30 to 60 minutes. In comparisontsunamis originating from further afield, suchas a landslide in the underwater HikurangiTrough 250 km to 300 km away, would taketwo to three hours to reach the coast.

It is understandable that the Sumatra tsunamiis an event that some people will never forget.However, while local government civilemergency and coastal hazard managementplans should sensibly take tsunami events intoaccount, suggestions of putting signs on allNew Zealand beaches telling people to lookout for suspicious looking waves that may betsunamis could be taking the matter one steptoo far.

The suggestion to relocate the New ZealandParliament buildings in Wellington, back to therelatively quake free far north where they wereoriginally founded 164 years ago could be foodfor thought, yet, I think the Beehive could bequite useful at deflecting a large wave.

Alex EaglesCoastal News Editor and

NZCS Coordinator

...since the signing of the Treaty ofWaitangi New Zealand has

experienced seven reasonable-sizedtsunamis, as well as dozens of

moderate tidal waves around thecountry

March 2005 5

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Dr Robert Dean is past Chairman and nowProfessor Emeritus in the Coastal andOceanographic Engineering Program, Civil andCoastal Engineering Department, University ofFlorida. His experience has provided him witha vast practical knowledge combined with anacademic, technical and mathematicalbackground through a Bachelor of Science degree(Civil Engineering) from the University ofCalifornia (Berkeley), a Master of Science degree(Physical Oceanography) from Texas A&MUniversity (College Station, Texas), and a Doctorof Science degree (Civil Engineering) fromMassachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Dr Dean has witnessed the evolution of coastalscience during the last 38 years as he researchedand taught subjects related to beach systems. Hehas held professorships at MIT, University ofWashington, University of Delaware and theUniversity of Florida and now has graduates allover the world. He worked as a senior researchengineer for Chevron Research Corporation. Inthe mid 1980s, he was Director, of the Divisionof Beaches and Shores, Florida Department ofNatural Resources, Tallahassee, Florida,responsible for the State of Florida beach programencompassing some 1,200 km of sandy beaches.

Dr Dean has co-authored the book “CoastalProcesses With Engineering Applications” andhas authored the book “Beach Nourishment:Theory and Practice”. He was a member of theCoastal Engineering Research Board involved inthe planning and review of the original U.S. ArmyCorp of Engineers “Shore Protection Manual”. Hehas published over 200 technical papers andconsulted with approximately 100 firms andgovernmental agencies in the general area ofcoastal and ocean engineering.

Robert Dean’s engineering and scientific studieshave been conducted both in the United Statesand internationally, including New Zealand whenhe spent a portion of a Sabbatical at WaikatoUniversity in early 1991. In 1994, he audited the“Mangawhai Harbour Restoration Plan”. In 2004and 2005, he presented expert evidence evaluatingthe effects of sand extraction from the entrance toMangawhai Inlet and the entire Mangawhai-Pakiriembayment.

Dr Dean’s special interests are in the areas ofshoreline changes, effects of inlets, sea level rise,and beach nourishment. His distinguished careerin academia and consulting has made a profoundimpact on the field of coastal engineering.

2005 NZCS Conference KeynoteSpeaker - Dr Robert Dean

CoastalNews

6 Coastal News No. 28

Modelling the effect of contaminants in estuaries canhelp to indicate the impact of urban stormwater runoffon our harbours as Malcolm Green and MikeTimperley of NIWA explain.

Estuaries downstream of urbanised catchmentsaccumulate contaminants (e.g., zinc, copper,polyaromatic hydrocarbons [PAHs]), and thesecan build to toxic levels. To plan catchmentdevelopment that also achieves environmentalgoals in the estuary, we need to be able to predictrates and locations of contaminant accumulationon the timescale of decades, which is the relevanttimeframe for planning. Using numerical estuarymodels it is possible to predict the dispersal offreshwater/sediments/contaminants dischargedfrom streams and stormwater overflows duringrainstorms. But, such models cannot be used inany direct way to make predictions on theplanning timescale.

The USC-2 (Urban Stormwater Contaminant)model has been developed to make long-termpredictions of contaminant accumulation inestuaries. Accumulation is treated as the result ofmany injections and dispersals at the scale of theindividual rainstorm, combined with otherprocesses such as bioturbation and physicalmixing by waves and currents that occur betweenrainstorms. At the heart of the model is a set ofmass-balance equations that describe generationand fate of contaminants and sediments in thesystem at hand. Sediments need to be addressedin the model because these carry much of thecontaminant load, and because they alsoultimately dilute contaminants in the estuary bedsediments. The set of mass-balance equations isestablished through analysis with three “core”models: (1) GLEAMS (catchment sedimenterosion/transport model); (2) NIWASTORMQUAL (contaminant generation based onhousing, commercial activities and traffic); and(3) MIKE 3 (estuary hydrodynamics and sediment-transport model). The USC-2 model is driven bya future rainstorm series that is either constructedrandomly (e.g. by a Monte Carlo process) or thatcan be biased to represent worst-case or best-caseoutcomes.

The USC-2 model has been applied to identifythe level of development and controls necessaryto secure the long-term protection of the UpperWaitemata Harbour (UWH). Buildup of zinc,copper and PAHs in the bed sediments of 11“subestuaries” of the harbour under a number ofscenarios has been predicted. The “Existing”scenario provides baseline information againstwhich future trends can be compared. The“Development #1” scenario is one possible waythat is being considered for catchmentdevelopment over the next 50 years, whichincludes a certain level of stormwater treatment.

Prediction Of Contaminant Buildup In EstuariesTo Support Urban Planning

Figure 1 shows an example of predicted PAHconcentrations in the surface sediments of themiddle main body of the harbour. PAHs arepredicted to exceed the Environmental ResponseCriteria “red traffic light” sediment-qualityguideline within the next ~30 years underDevelopment #1, which indicates probablebiological impacts. The curve is bracketed by twoother curves, one showing PAH buildup underthe Development #1 pattern and intensity ofurban development but with maximum-attainablestormwater treatment (which may come atconsiderable cost), and the other is zerostormwater treatment (which demonstrates theenvironmental gains made by the level ofstormwater treatment already within theDevelopment #1 scenario). A considerable gainin “time to traffic-light exceedance” (~15 years)is won by improved stormwater treatment, whichmight justify the extra expense, given that newtechnologies for mitigating or avoidingcontamination could emerge in that time.

It is worth noting that this is not true of everysubestuary in the UWH. In some parts, the shiftto maximum stormwater treatment on the landgains virtually nothing in the estuary, and in othersa very small improvement in treatment is predictedto avoid guideline exceedance entirely. Thedifference lies in the complex connections betweenthe various sensitive parts of the estuary and thevarious contaminant hotspots in the catchment,which is precisely what the model is intended tocapture. These connections can be summarized in“circle diagrams” of the type shown in Figure 2.

The circle diagrams can be examined to developbroad strategies for attaining environmental goals.For instance, Figure 2 shows that the largestsupplier of zinc to the middle main body of theharbour is the Lucas subcatchment. This suggeststhat intervention in that subcatchment wouldlead to benefits in the middle harbour. However,Lucas subcatchment also supplies a significantload of sediment to that part of the harbour, whichis beneficial in terms of contaminant buildup (it

Figure 1: Predicted PAH concentrations in the surfacesediments of the main body of the harbour.

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CoastalNews

dilutes contaminant concentrations). This leadsto a tricky problem: improving stormwatertreatment, which removes both suspended finesediment and contaminants, may actuallyaccelerate the rise of contaminant concentrations.So, although broad strategies can be identifiedfrom the circle diagrams, the detailed outcomesof intervention – which may seem counterintuitive– still need to be investigated by running the USC-2 model.

The way forward, then, is to run the model in akind of iteration, with discussion of results aftereach loop, until an acceptable --– and no doubtcompromise – development strategy can be found.As part of this iteration in the Upper Waitemata

Figure 2: “Circle diagrams”, for zinc and sediment.(1) Reading across each line indicates wherezinc/sediment generated in each subcatchment endsup in the harbour. For example, most of the zincgenerated in Lucas subcatchment ends up in the Lucassubestuary (tidal creek). (2) Reading up each columnindicates zinc/sediment deposited in each part of theharbour comes from. For example, most of the sedimentdeposited in the upper main body comes from theRangitopuni subcatchment, but zinc comes from awide range of sources.

study, it has been found that stormwater treatmentalone may not deliver acceptable environmentaloutcomes in some critical parts of the harbour,which has turned attention to benefits that couldbe derived by new methods of source control,such as regulating galvanised building materials.By linking “planning cause” to “environmentaleffect”, the USC-2 model is providing theinformation needed to develop and defendregional planning policies aimed at protectingestuarine receiving waters in developingcatchments.

The work has been funded by the AucklandRegional Council, Transit NZ, North Shore CityCouncil, Waitakere City Council, Rodney DistrictCouncil and the Foundation for Research Scienceand Technology (Sustainability of AquaticEcosystems and Water Resources, C01X0215;Effects-Based Protection and Management ofAquatic Ecosystems, C01X0307).

Malcolm Green (NIWA Hamilton)m.green@niwa.co.nz, (07) 856 1747

Mike Timperley (NIWA Auckland)m.timperley@niwa.co.nz, (09) 375 2060

Artificial Surf Reef Consultantswww.asrltd.co.nz

ASR is a Marine and Freshwater Consultancyspecialising in Artificial Surfing Reef design. ASRprovide innovative solutions to match modernenvironmental awareness through computermodelling and modern instruments. Projects thatASR have been or are currently involved withinclude: aquaculture development in Lombok,Indonesia; coastal processes and erosion protectionof the Westshore Beach in Napier; ire sand miningin southern India; larval whiting dispersal insouth-eastern Australia; beach erosion solutionsfor Noosa, Australia; the Whakatane marinaecological assessment; the New Plymouthforeshore redevelopment design sewage outfallmodelling Port Phillip Bay, Australia;development of a district coastal managementplan, southern India; and surfing reef feasibilitystudies in Lyall Bay, Opunake, Newquay in theUK, the Gold Coast, Mount Maunganui, andBournemouth.

Ocean Sciencewww.ocean-science.net

Ocean Science is a new online, open-accessinternational scientific journal, published by theEuropean Geosciences Union, dedicated to thepublication and discussion of research articles,news and paper reviews covering all aspects ofthe ocean, its physics, biology and chemistry, andits interactions with the atmosphere above andthe sediments below.

This journal is not fully peer-reviewed, but it isdesigned to allow an interactive public discussionof the latest developments in the field. Publicationis paid for by a small service charge with no extracost for colour or additional material such asmovies. Papers are published with a CreativeCommons licence, which allows any number ofelectronic and paper copies to be made for non-commercial purposes. The authors and theiremployers retain copyright.

What’s Hot On The Web

continued on page 13

Coastal News No. 288

CoastalNews

Although sand is a highly sought after natural resourcesand extraction may have a greater environmentalimpact than expected as Andrew Benson of ARCdiscovers.

Construction for housing, industrial developmentand infrastructure to support growth ensures acontinuing demand for mineral resources, namelysand and aggregates, the basic building materialof all communities. In Auckland the demand forsand is ongoing and a continuous supply is vitalto the regional economy. Whilst demandcontinues, resources in the Auckland region arelimited.

The coastal environment has long been a sourceof sand for the Auckland region, which has fewrivers and, therefore, a meagre supply of sandfrom alluvial sources. In-addition coastal sandhas a number of desirable characteristics – isnaturally well graded with a near ideal particlesize distribution for concrete manufacture;sediment bodies are vast, therefore, sites last formany years; little post processing (additional cost)is required; and, sites are general accessible.

The supply of sand is currently sourced from theMangawhai – Pakiri embayment (east coast) andthe Kaipara Harbour inlet (west coast). In 1994the Minister of Conservation granted 3 coastalpermits for the extraction of sand from thenearshore of the Mangawhai – Pakiri embayment,and 2 for the extraction from the inlet and ebbtidal delta of the Mangawhai Harbour. In 1997the Minister granted 2 permits to extract sandfrom the Kaipara Harbour inlet.

Concern about the actual and potential adverseenvironmental consequences of extraction fromthe coastal marine area, and in particular fromthe nearshore zone, have long been held. Themajor reasons that nearshore sand extraction hascontinued has been the lack of alternative sourcesthat can be exploited with existing plant, and thedifficulty in determining the issue of sustainability,

Auckland’s Sand SourcesUnder Close Scrutiny

and in particular being able to distinguish theextent to which observed erosion of the shore canbe attributed to extraction activities rather thanto natural processes.

The permits granted by the Minister required acomprehensive study of the sustainable level ofsand extraction, and gave rise to twocomprehensive studies – the Mangawhai – PakiriSand Study and the Kaipara Sand Study.

Both studies were controlled by a group composedof representatives of the Regional Councils, theDepartment of Conservation, Tangata Whenua,and the sand extraction companies. The groupwas formed to define the parameters of the study,engage technical experts (both studies wereheaded by the National Institute of Water andAtmospheric Research (NIWA)) to undertake thestudies, to oversee the studies, and to report tothe Auckland and Northland Regional Councils.

Notwithstanding the use of the best availabletechnology and expertise in coastal science, theoutcomes of the Mangawhai - Pakiri Study didnot provide absolute certainty, whilst the KaiparaSand Study indicates that there are relatively fewconstraints to further sand extraction activities.

Subsequent to the completion of the studies, andlapsing of the permits for east coast sand extractionactivities, new coastal permit applications havebeen made.

The Minister has considered and declined 2applications to extract sand from the MangawhaiHarbour inlet and ebb tidal delta. Hearings for2 applications to extract sand from the Mangawhai– Pakiri embayment commence 9 February 2005. It has been recommended to the hearingcommittee that they recommend to the Ministerthat both applications be declined.

Andrew Benson, Coastal Project Leader,Auckland Regional Councilandrew.benson@arc.govt.nz

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CoastalNews

NZCS Management Committee

Chairperson Lucy Brake (lbrake@beca.co.nz)

Deputy Chairperson/ David Phizacklea (davidp@tauranga.govt.nz)Membership Coordinator

Secretary/Treasurer Eric Verstappen (eric.verstappen@tdc.govt.nz)

Conference Coordinator Kath Coombes (kath.coombes@arc.govt.nz)

Regional Coordinator Jenni Fitzgerald (jennifer.fitzgerald@ew.govt.nz)

Website Coordinator John Lumsden (j.lumsden@clear.net.nz)

Doug Ramsay (d.ramsay@niwa.govt.nz)David Kennedy (david.kennedy@vuw.ac.nz)

Website Manager Charles Hendtlass (c.hendtlass@cae.canterbury.ac.nz)

Conference 2005 Coordinator Rick Stolwerk (stolwerk@xtra.co.nz)

For any enquiries regarding Coastal News articles or advertising, NZCS membership, or any generalenquiries please contact:

NZCS Coordinator Alex Eagles (penguins@clear.net.nz)

CoastalNews

Coastal News No. 2810

Victoria Universityof Wellington

School of EarthSciences

In the School of EarthSciences at VictoriaUniversity, while some research crosses the coastalboundary, Dr David Kennedy is the mainacademic working exclusively within the coastalrealm. His focus is on landform systems and theirdevelopment related to environmental and sealevel change, especially over the last two sea levelcycles. This work is concentrated around twomain themes - coral reefs and rocky coasts andestuaries.

On CampusCoastal Research in New Zealand Universities

Coral Reefs

Coral reefs are sensitive environments as theygrow under very specific environmentalconditions. By looking at reefs at the limits ofdevelopment such as the high latitude reefs inthe Tasman Sea (Middleton and Elizabeth Reefsand Lord Howe Island) and the muddy reefs ofTorres Strait, Northern Australia, extensiveinformation can be gained as to how these systemsrespond to changes in their environment. Forexample, as they are already at the limits ofgrowth, small changes in temperature can leadto major changes within the whole reef system.This information is important as it can help predictthe sensitivity of reef systems to future climatechange. Knowledge of the dynamics of reefssystems is also important for the siting ofcommercial activities such as pearl farming. Thishas led another member of the School, AssociateProfessor John Collen, to reefs such as Majuroand Penrhyn Atolls.

Rocky Coasts and Estuaries

Rocky coasts are one of the least studied coastallandforms, although much of the internationallypublished work has come from New Zealand,especially in recent times (from CanterburyUniversity). At VU rocky coast development is

Figure 1: Surveying on a sand cay on Elizabeth Reef,Tasman Sea. Apart from a few wrecks this is the highestpoint on the reef.

Figure 2: Vibrocoring on the sand and mud flats inWhanganui (Westhaven) Inlet.

being investigated at a number of sites, such asWellington and Otago, to analyse the effects ofrock type and structure on platform morphology.As part of these studies imprints of tsunami onthese environments are also being investigated.

The focus of estuarine work has been inWhanganui (Westhaven) Inlet in Nelson. Thislarge inlet is in an almost pristine state and severalgraduate students have been looking at itsenvironment from a palynological, foraminiferaland sedimentological perspective. The inletappears to have infilled rapidly soon after floodingby the sea. The current surface therefore is quitestable apart from the slow lateral migration oftidal channels At the coarser end of the sedimentscale Dr Warren Dickinson has been looking atboulder banks in the same region around Nelson.

Graduate students are of course the backbone ofany university and over the past few yearshonours and masters students have beenundertaking a wide variety of projects. Some ofthese have included beach profile change alongthe Manawatu Coast and of the newly nourishedbeach in Oriental Bay, as well as perceptions oferosion risk on the Kapiti Coast. Some of thecurrent masters students include:

• Julie Smyth – Tidal channel stability of NWNelson.

• Glenn Hughes – The Quaternary evolution ofthe Kapiti/Horowhenua coastal plain.

• Ryan Paulik – Shore platform morphology inweakly resistant lithologies.

• Caell Waikari – Environmental change of theTasman Sea around Lord Howe Island, duringthe late Quaternary.

• Mike Millar – Sea-level variation inWhanganui Inlet.

School of Biology

The School of Biology at VU also has an activeresearch programme in coasts. They also have afocus on coral reefs (why is it the further you getaway from the equator the more people want to

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NZCS Mission StatementThe New Zealand Coastal Society was inaugurated in 1992 “to promote and advance sustainablemanagement of the coastal environment”.

The Society provides a forum for those with a genuine interest in the coastal zone to communicateamongst themselves and with the public. The Society currently incorporates over 300 members.

Members include representatives from a wide range of coastal science, engineering and planningdisciplines, and are employed in the engineering industry, local, regional and central government,research centres and universities.

Applications for membership should be sent toAlex Eagles (e-mail: penguins@clear.net.nz)

work there?). Dr Jeff Shima is looking at thedynamics of reef fishes and Dr Simon Perry therole of symbiotes in coral on sites such asRarotonga and Palmyra Atoll. Within NZ the roleof runoff on larvae of paua is being investigatedby Dr Nicole Phillips, while some of those causingthe run-off are being studied by PhD student Jo

Hoare whose topic is on the interactions betweenintroduced predators and lizards on offshoreislands. Dr KC Burns is also working on offshoreislands studying vegetation communities.

Please feel free to contactDavid.Kennedy@vuw.ac.nz if you would like anyfurther information or visit www.vuw.ac.nz.

The New Zealand Coastal Society offers ascholarship to students or recent graduates aimedat supporting their attendance at the Society’syearly conference. The 2005 scholarship, with avalue of $500, will be included in the registrationpack to be collected at the NZCS AnnualConference being held in Tutukaka 12-15 October2005. Applicants must be current members of theNZCS.

Applications should cover no more than one A4page and contain:

a. the applicant’s name and contact details (postaladdress, phone number, email);

b. the degree completed or enrolled in;

c. date of completion or intended date ofcompletion of the degree;

d. the title of the dissertation or thesis and a brief(no more than 200 words) account of how theresearch relates to the goals of the NZCS;

e. an estimated travel budget to the conference;

f. the applicant’s supervisor’s signature.

The goals of the NZCS and membership formscan be found on the NZCS websitewww.coastalsociety.org.nz.

The successful applicants must present a posteron their research at the annual conference.

Applications for the scholarship close on 31 July2005.

Please send applications to:

Alex EaglesNew Zealand Coastal Society287 Ohauiti RdRD 3TAURANGA

Student ScholarshipsThe 2004 scholarships were awarded to ScottLambert, who was studying the effects of sedimentremobilisation following herbicide control ofSpartina in estuaries in the Waikato and Haurakiregions and Javier Leon, who was investigatingthe coastal morphodynamics resulting from asandy barrier at Shelly Beach in Otago Harbour.

Scott Lambert during a sampling exercise in RaglanHarbour.

Javier Leon preparing for surveying at Shelly Beach.

CoastalNews

Coastal News No. 2812

Word from the ChairWell we are certainly into the beginning of2005 with a bang. I hope you are all settledback into life, work and play!

The NZCS Management Committee hastaken on some projects for this year and isbusy working on these on behalf of themembers. There are just a few that I wouldlike to touch on here. If you have anyquestions about any of these please feel freeto contact any of the ManagementCommittee.

• The preparations for the NZCS 2005Conference in Tutukaka (on the east coastnorth of Whangarei) are well underwayand it sounds like it will be an excellentconference with a great mix of excitingspeakers, including Bob Dean as a KeyNote Speaker, field trips and socialactivities. You will find a Call for Abstractsin this edition of Coastal News.

• We are undertaking a review of theAdministration Service IPENZ providesfor the NZCS. IPENZ has provided asupporting role since our inception butwith changes to the IPENZ rules, changeswithin NZCS ourselves and ongoingvoiced concerns about the lack ofindependence for NZCS from IPENZ wehave agreed it is timely to undertake thisreview.

The report will outline the administrationservices NZCS requires, the existing costsfrom IPENZ, alternative options to securethese services and an analysis of thestrengths and weaknesses of each option.

The assessment is being undertaken bya Steering Group of the ManagementCommittee and will be made available

for members to comment on before thenext AGM. I believe it is very importantfor NZCS to make sure we are gettingthe best service for our members and thisreport will help identify that for us.

• There have been a number of concernsvoiced to, and by, the ManagementCommittee in regards to the structure ofthe Corporate Membership and if this isproviding our Corporates with the bestservice. Another report is being preparedby the Management Committee to lookat alternative models for CorporateMembership and a decision will be at thenext AGM about restructuring thismembership sector. We will update youon that in the next Coastal News.

• The Coasts and Ports 2005 Conference inSeptember in Adelaide is a Conferencethat the NZCS supports and you will findinformation on attending in this CoastalNews. You may be aware of the reciprocalarrangement NZCS has with ourAustralian cousins and we do benefitdirectly from any New Zealandregistering. The Coasts and PortsConferences held here in New Zealandare extremely important for the ongoingfinancial stability of NZCS and wetherefore strongly recommend supportfor this conference by NZCS Members.

• Finally, we are continuing to work closelywith our Regional Co-ordinators topromote the discussion and debate oncoastal issues in the regions throughworkshops, seminars and the like.

Lucy BrakeChair, NZ Coastal Society

lbrake@beca.co.nz

Would you take a penguinto the desert? Well JohnRead isn’t quite doing that,but he is running 240kmacross the Sahara Desert toraise funds and awarenessfor the New Zealand’shoiho or yellow-eyedpenguins!!

undertaking the MarathonDes Sables (Marathon of theSands) an endurance runwhich crosses the Sahara Desert in Morocco inthe name of the endangered penguins.

John will run the distance over 6 days, between

7 to 18 April 2005, carryingall his food and equipmentfor the duration of the event.He will endure temperaturesup to 49˚C and have tonegotiate running acrosssteep sand dunes andrugged rocky terrain.

To support John and hissuperhuman efforts to helpsave the yellow-eyed

penguin visit the website:www.wwf.org.nz/news/Marathon2005/MarathonHome.cfm.

Running Across the Sahara CouldHelp Save NZ Penguins

March 2005 13

CoastalNews

Jenni Fitzgerald is part ofthe Coastal Policy teamfor Environment Waikatowhere she has worked forthe past year. Prior tojoining EW she spent twoyears with RodneyDistrict Council, initiallyprocessing resourceconsent applications,

before moving to the Forward Planningdepartment as a Policy Planner where her focuswas on coastal and natural resource issues.

At EW, Jenni is involved with a variety of projectsincluding work on coastal erosion and local coastalplanning exercises. A key area of focus for the

Profile: Jenni FitzgeraldNZCS Regional Coordinator for the Waikato

future will be west coast issues within the WaikatoRegion. Current issues include mangroves,vehicles on beaches, and harbour protection.

After a few years off from study Jenni completeda Bachelor of Social Sciences in Geography, andResources and Environmental Planning at WaikatoUniversity in 1999. She is currently studyingtowards a Masters degree in REP also at WaikatoUniversity.

Jenni spends her free time fishing (in fact, sherecently enjoyed fishing in the sun on the GoldCoast during a midwinter holiday), playing indoornetball, hanging out with family and other outdooractivities such as tramping around LakeWaikaremoana.

Fiordland Marine Management Bill

The Government is aiming to create eight newmarine reserves in Fiordland with the help of aspecial Bill. The new reserves will cover 10 of the23 regions identified as containing “outstandingareas of biodiversity” including most of BlighSound.

Understanding Waves Crucial in Port Safety

NIWA have been investigating how wavesgenerated by a distant storm can affect safe accessto and from NZ’s ports and harbours for theMaritime Safety Authority’s EnvironmentalAssessment Task Force. At some ports the heightof the swell can affect the clearance under theship’s keel as it makes passage through a dredgedshipping channel. Incidents in the last two years,such as the Jody F Millenium off of Gisborne andCapella Voyager off of Marsden Point, havehighlighted the need for monitoring andforecasting the sea state. NIWA have found that

Sandy Bitsa wave-rider buoy is the most suitable for waterdepths over 20m while other means such asAcoustic Doppler Current Profiler meters, remotecameras, and portable microwave Doppler radarsystems are more appropriate for shallowerenvironments. NIWA is currently trialling awave/swell forecasting system which predictsthe sea state up to 126 hours ahead

New Marine Reserve For Taranaki

A 1547ha Tapuae Marine Reserve, which willinclude half the Sugar Loaf Island group andadjacent subtidal and intertidal seabed, isproposed for the New Plymouth coast. Over 400marine species typical of the Taranaki volcanicapron, nesting habitats for seabirds, and thenorthern-most breeding ground for the NZ furseal are all encompassed in the proposed area. Ifsuccessful, the marine reserve will be only thesecond one on the west coast of the North Islandwith the other being around Kapiti Island.

Google Scholarscholar.google.com

Google has released a new free tool called thatallows you to look up any author, publication ortechnical topic and find all of the other articles orwebsites that cite that work, ordering them byrelevance. Google Scholar enables you to searchspecifically for scholarly literature, including peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, preprints, abstractsand technical reports. Google Scholar alsoautomatically analyses and extracts citations andpresents them as separate results, even if thedocuments they refer to are not online. This meansthat search results may include citations of olderworks and seminal articles that appear only inbooks or other offline publications.

Social Science Tools and Methods for MarineProtected Areas Managementwww.csc.noaa.gov/mpass

The National Oceanic and AtmosphericAdministration has a website on researchtechniques for examining the ‘human dimensions’of marine and coastal resource management. Thewebsite gives basic information about socialscience concepts and methods, and guidesmanagers in determining the appropriate tools,such as surveys and cost-benefit analyses, toaddress their specific issues. The site is dividedinto sections that focus on social science themes(including use patterns; attitudes, perceptions andbeliefs; governments, institutions and processes;communities; and economics), tools, case studies,and references.

continued from page 7

CoastalNews

Coastal News No. 2814

News from the RegionsBay of Plenty RegionAileen Lawrie, NZCS Bay of Plenty RegionalCoordinator

Mangrove Management Consent atEnvironment Court

Tauranga City Council's mangrove managementconsent application is going to the EnvironmentCourt in the week of 8 March 2005 after attemptsat negotiation, with one of the appellant partieschoosing not to attend any of the mediationmeetings held last year. The proposal involvesthe removal of Mangroves from areas of theWaimapu, Welcome Bay, Waikareao and Matuaarms of Tauranga Harbour.

Mt Maunganui Surf Reef Being Built

The artificial surf reef at Tay Street, Mt Maunganuihas so far raised $800,000 of the $1 million costto construct the 50-m long sand bag structure,and will start construction in February 2005. Thecoastal permit for the reef was approved on anon-notified basis in September 2000 and hassuccessfully withstood a judicial review soughtby Sun Pacific Villas, a timeshare located adjacentto the proposed reef site.

Western Bay of Plenty District Council

WBOPDC are in the process of finalising a planchange for Waihi Beach to make subdivision aprohibited activity and to strengthen plan rulesrelating to additional dwellings in the coastalhazard primary risk zone. They have also madeapplications to themselves and Environment Bayof Plenty for a 1050 metre seawall at Waihi Beachalong Shaw Road and parts of The Loop. Streamtraining groynes and dune works are alsoproposed.

Wave Buoy

The Environment Bay of Plenty wave buoy hasnow been up and running for over a year,supplying valuable data on the offshoreenvironment. Live on the councils website athttp://www.envbop.govt.nz/water/levels/wave-buoy.asp, it is now one of the most frequentlyhit pages.

Offshore modelling

In addition to the wave buoy, current meters havebeen deployed around the Bay of Plenty collectinginformation on offshore current speed anddirection. Water quality data is also beingcollected for the productivity modelling beingcarried out by ASR Limited. A further project isunderway by NIWA to relate sea surfacetemperatures to productivity. Contact StephenPark for more information.

Tsunami

A report has been completed for EnvironmentBay of Plenty and Environment Waikato detailing

tsunami risk for the Bay of Plenty and EasternCoramandel. The report brings togethergeophysical survey results, eye-witness accounts,written records, and data on the behaviour oftsunamis. A hazard profile for the eastern coastlineof the Bay of Plenty and Coromandel has beendeveloped that indicates the following:

• In the past 4000 years two major regional andfour localised paleo-tsunami events have beenrecorded – all greater than the 5m resolutionlevel for detection in the paleo record.

• Eleven tsunamis are recorded in the historicalrecord - all of less than 3m.

• The estimated return period for tsunami (forexample, 322 years for a wave height of 2.5m)calculated from the historical record is likelyto be an overestimate given the recent paleoresearch.

A review of these return periods, based onadditional research, has been commissioned andthe findings are due very shortly.

Contact Stephen Lamb for more details.

Wellington RegionDavid Kennedy, NZCS Wellington RegionalCoordinator

Oriental Bay Beach

The new beach in Oriental Bay has proved a hitwith locals and tourists alike flocking to it oncesummer finally arrived. Some sand movementhas occurred since its construction and recentlyone of the offshore protective bars was modifiedto provide additional protection from wavesgenerated during Wellington’s brisk northerlies.This movement appears, however, to have beenwithin the expected design limits.

Shipwreck given approval

The proposal to sink the former frigate HMNZSWellington on the south coast has gained furthermomentum with the Government selling it for$1 and providing a free tow from Auckland.

Tsunami waves

The recent tsunami disaster has proved to be ofconsiderable interest given Wellington’s historyof such events, with a wave just under 10 metresoccurring in Palliser Bay in the 1855 Wairarapaearthquake and a seiche of a couple of metresoccurring in Wellington Harbour. This interesthas been further heighted by the recentearthquake swarm that has occurred duringJanuary.

Waikato RegionJenni Fitzgerald, NZCS Waikato Regional Coordinator

NZCS/NZPI Waikato Regional Seminar –“Beyond the CMA”

A joint Coastal Society/Planning Institute seminar

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March 2005 15

in November attracted around 50 attendees froma wide variety of backgrounds, from grizzledpractitioners to fresh-faced students. The evening’skey presentations were delivered by Dr NickEdgar (Landcare Trust) and Raewyn Peart(Environmental Defence Society). These werefollowed by a brief presentation by EW CoastalScientist Rick Liefting on recent erosion at Mokauas part of a ‘Regional Roundup’ session.

Dr Edgar’s presentation gave an overview of arecently completed two-year MfE project -Integrated Catchment Management (ICM): SharingCommunity Best Practice Nationally – includinglessons learnt from a range of community-basedcatchment projects from across the country. TheseICM experiences also contributed to the recentlyreleased Parliamentary Commissioner for theEnvironment's report - "Growing for Good:Intensive farming, sustainability and NewZealand's environment".

Raewyn Peart is Senior Policy Analyst with theEnvironmental Defence Society, and author oftheir recent publication “A Place to Stand: Theprotection of New Zealand’s natural and culturallandscapes”. Raewyn’s presentation focussed onhow to achieve more effective protection of NewZealand’s coastal landscapes and discussed whatlandscapes should be protected, what they arethreatened by, what management tools areavailable to manage the threats and theeffectiveness or otherwise of these tools. Itincorporated material from several case studiescarried out as a part of the 2003 EDS landscapeprotection study and concluded with somesuggestions for a way forward.

Fraser McRae (Waikato District Council) and KateMackness (Hamilton City Council) contributedto the evening with a brief run-down on some ofthe issues for their respective organisations.

The speakers sparked considerable lively debatewhich continued on amidst the clean-up, and thefeedback was excellent. The evening wasadditionally co-sponsored by Beca andEnvironment Waikato.

Vehicles on Beaches

Environment Waikato is hosting a workshop ofmanagement agencies with responsibilities forareas along the Region’s west coast in earlyFebruary. The issues associated with vehicle useon beach and dune areas are well-known aroundthe country and use continues to escalate. Hotspots within the Region include Karioitahi, Raglan,Kawhia, Mokau, Marokopa and Awakino.

There are a number of factors that combine tomake this a complex issue. These include theoverlapping jurisdictions of multiple managementagencies which may include regional councils,territorial authorities, NZ Police and Departmentof Conservation, and lack of coherence betweenexisting regulatory regimes. There is alsoconfusion about the status of beaches as public

roads and how this relates to resource managementregimes.

One of the aims of the February workshop will beto establish a common understanding of the issues,including existing regulations and jurisdictions,in order that the public are receiving a consistentand correct message when it comes to who doeswhat, when and where.

If you should have any queries about this project,contact Jenni Fitzgerald(Jennifer.Fitzgerald@ew.govt.nz).

Tsunami Threat Greater than Expected

The threat of tsunami in the eastern Coromandeland Bay of Plenty is much higher than previouslythought, a study has found. The eastern coastlinecan expect a one metre tsunami every 80 years anda 2.5 metre wave every 320 years, EnvironmentWaikato’s Environment Committee meeting heardin November. Areas most at risk include the opencoast from Otama Beach to Port Charles and outto Great Mercury Island and Mercury Bayespecially Whitianga.

A joint investigation into tsunami hazard byEnvironment Waikato and Environment Bay ofPlenty has found that the risk is high enough torank it the highest regional risk for a locallygenerated tsunami and sixth for one generatedelsewhere in the world.

The research identified tsunami activity in theprevious 5000 years along the eastern coastlineand pinpointed sites for additional research andfield investigations. Core samples cataloguedtsunami events, identified hot spots and the finalstage would develop appropriate response,planning and management actions.

A hazard profile indicates there have been seventsunami recorded in the past 85 years that havegenerated a wave height of up to a metre with fiveevents since 1700, generating wave heights of oneto three metres. There have been six events as farback as 3000 years with a wave height higher thanfive metres.

Any questions about this should be directed toLamorna Cooper (Lamorna.Cooper@ew.govt.nz).

Coastal Weed Discovered in Whangamata

The plant pest boneseed, or salt bush, has been

CoastalNews

Coastal News No. 2816

discovered in Whangamata, and EnvironmentWaikato is anxious to get rid of it. Plants werefound for the first time in this area on twoproperties in the Whangamata township duringroutine inspections.

Boneseed, also known as salt bush or bitou bush,is a threat to low coastal vegetation, where it canrapidly take over and replace native plants,including pohutukawa. It is a fast growing shrubthat can produce up to 50,000 seeds a year.Environment Waikato regards it as a ‘containment’pest, requiring removal of all plants.

The plant’s thick growth could restrict people’saccess to beaches, and it could be difficult tocontrol because of the large numbers of seeds itproduces. Seeds can remain dormant in the soilfor up to 10 years. Birds and possums eat thefleshy fruit and spread undigested seeds intoneighbouring shrub lands and coastal forests.

Seed germination is stimulated by fire, and itgrows best in dry sunny conditions in coastalareas, cliffs, sand dunes and wasteland. The bushyshrub grows up to three metres tall, with leathery,paddle-shaped leaves, with toothed edges and apowdery surface. It has yellow daisy-like flowersfrom September to February, and clusters of smallfruit that turn from green to black when mature.

The South African native was first brought toNew Zealand as an ornamental plant. Infestationshave previously been found around Waihi, Raglanand the Coromandel Peninsula. Boneseed isbanned from sale, propagation, distribution orcommercial display.

Please direct any questions about plant pests inthe Waikato Region to Peter Russell(Peter.Russell@ew.govt.nz).

Upper South Island RegionEric Verstappen, NZCS Upper South Island RegionalCoordinator

Marahau foreshore gets a face lift

Marahau lies at the southern gateway to the AbelTasman National Park. The once-quiet seasideretreat is the major departure point for tramping,kayak and water taxi access to the park. Notsurprisingly, it has also attracted significantdevelopment pressure. Erosion of and subsequentpiecemeal rock revetment works to thesettlement’s foreshore margin has severelyimpacted on safe access through and along theforeshore and access to the park. To ease trafficcongestion and recreate foreshore parking andamenity areas, the Tasman District Council hasembarked upon a foreshore enhancementprogram. The $1 million Stage I works includedwidening the road reserve, rebuilding failed rockrevetments, and providing new boat ramp, jettyand groyne structures. These were completed inlate 2004. Stage II works will compriseconstruction of a northern groyne and beachrenourishment ($0.3M) with road reconstructionworks to follow as Stage III.

Beach renourishment for new tourist facility

Immediately north of the Marahau settlementand nestled between the Marahau river estuaryand coastal foreshore lies a largely undeveloped18 ha tract of private land. The owners have beengranted consent for a significant touristaccommodation and visitor facility. However, tooffset the potential effects on this developmentof a persistent, severe erosion trend, consent hasalso been granted for a staged beachrenourishment program. The first stage involvedthe placement of 5000 cubic metres of sand alongthe 600m foreshore and was undertaken in late2004. The sand is sourced from the intertidalplatform seaward of the Otuwhero sandspit southof the Marahau community, being the depositionarea for much of the sand originally eroded fromthe beach.

Seeking Contributions toCoastal News

Your contributions to Coastal News arewelcome. These contributions are importantto keep NZCS members informed aboutcoastal issues in New Zealand and aroundthe world. Contributions may be in the formof advertisements, notification aboutconferences or workshops, short news items,or longer articles of 400-800 words plusphotos or diagrams.

For further information or to submit an ideaplease contact Alex Eagles, Editor, CoastalNews on penguins@clear.net.nz.

CoastalNews

March 2005 17

Profile: André LaBontéAndré LaBonté is adirector of LaBontéCoastal ConsultantsLimited, a consultingengineering businessspecializing in harbour,dune and beachrestoration plans,coastal protectioninvestigations and

resource consent applications involving activityin the coastal marine zone.

He has a BSc majoring in Biological Sciences, aminor in Oceanography and Marine Biology, anda BSE degree majoring in Ocean Engineering. Hehas had over 35 years experience as a consultantfor private, academic and government institutions.

During his career he has worked in the offshoreoil industry, been involved in coastal pollutionresearch and monitoring and served as aconsultant to the United States Congressevaluating base-line environmental monitoringprograms. He served as Assistant Professor andChairman of the Marine Science department atMiami Dade Community College (University).He qualified as an aquanaut in the Scientist in theSea program in 1974. He has been involved incoastal and ocean engineering projects on theeastern seaboard of the United States andCaribbean. Major emphasis of this work wasenvironmental monitoring associated with beach

restoration projects, inlet and coastal hydrographicsurveying and engineering inspection of coastalstructures.

Since moving to New Zealand in 1985, he hasserved as a consultant and expert witness to theMinistry of Works and the Department ofConservation at hearings regarding issues ofcoastal pollution in New Zealand. He workedunder contract with the Department’s NorthlandRegional Conservancy evaluating projectsassociated with the Harbours Act prior to theRMA. He has served as the Minister ofConservation’s representative at Restricted CoastalActivity hearings.

As the consulting engineer to the MangawhaiHarbour Restoration Society, he developed andimplemented the Mangawhai HarbourRestoration Plan, being responsible for the design,implementation and monitoring associated withrestoration of the Mangawhai Harbour, inlet, riverchannel and dune stabilization. In 1998, he, alongwith his wife Robin (also an ocean engineer),designed and implemented the construction phaserequired to remove eight 400 tonne fuel storagetanks by barge from the Marsden Power Stationocean beach for relocation to Fiji and Tauranga.Currently he is involved in the nearshore sandmining issue providing expert evidence regardingthis internationally outdated practice.

NZCS Regional CoordinatorsEvery region in the country has a NZCS Regional Coordinator who is available to help you withany queries about NZCS activities or coastal issues in your local area.

North IslandNorthland André Labonté labonte@xtra.co.nz

Auckland Scott Nichol s.nichol@auckland.ac.nz

Waikato Jenni Fitzgerald jennifer.fitzgerald@ew.govt.nz

Bay of Plenty Aileen Lawrie aileen@envbop.govt.nz

Hawkes Bay Gary Clode garyc@hbrc.govt.nz

Taranaki Peter Atkinson dwk.newplymouth@duffillwatts.com

Manawatu/Wanganui Johanna Rosier d.j.rosier@massey.ac.nz

Wellington David Kennedy david.kennedy@vuw.ac.nz

South IslandUpper South Island Eric Verstappen eric.verstappen@tdc.govt.nz

Canterbury Justin Cope justin.cope@ecan.govt.nz

Otago Mike Hilton mjh@geography.otago.ac.nz

Paul Pope poppa185@student.otago.ac.nz or popey@xtra.co.nz

Southland Ken Murray kmurray@doc.govt.nz

"Be the change that you want to see in this world" — Ghandi

CoastalNews

Coastal News No. 2818

Damage caused by rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus)and hares (Lepus europaeus occidentalis) isacknowledged to be a major factor in the declineof coastal sand dune vegetation, particularly onopen dunefields and in foredune environments.It is also a major contributor to the failure ordecreased performance of dune revegetationprogrammes.

Rabbits and hares are not native to New Zealand,but are present throughout most of the country.These introduced animals browse on most plantspecies in the sand dune ecosystem, showingmarked preference for new growth and seedlings.

Rabbits can live in large colonies and have aserious effect on coastal vegetation, especially onopen dune areas. They contribute significantly tofailure or poor performance of dune revegetationprogrammes.

Hares have wide-ranging, scattered populationsand different behaviour patterns from rabbits, butcan cause significant localised damage to coastalplants. They clip vegetation with a 45° cut.

Total eradication is not an option along mainland

Figure 1: Rabbits often live in colonies and are prolificbreeders, able to produce 30 -35 young in a season.

Figure 2: Hares are larger than rabbits, are more yellow-brown in colour, with a darker head and black-tippedears. They have relatively long legs and run with aloping gait.

Rabbit and Hare Control in New Zealand’sCoastal Environment

coastal areas as rabbits will always re-colonisewhen treatment ceases. Effective control of rabbitsand hares requires a large percentage kill (90%)or the populations will very rapidly return totheir original size.

The need for rabbit and hare control should beassessed before any planting programme is setup. Long-term commitment to sustainedtreatment is needed to prevent destruction ofplanted material.

Monitoring of rabbit and hare populationsprovides a sound basis for an effectiveprogramme. Continued monitoring andevaluation will identify the success of controloperations and allow effective targeting of follow-up treatment. Good communication between allgroups involved is critical for the success of anycontrol project.

A wide range of control methods for rabbits andhares has been developed. Some are suited tolarge-scale control programmes, others are onlypractical on a small scale. Control may be mosteffective through use of a combination of controlmeasures, rather than a single one.

A carefully managed programme of poisoningwith Pindone-treated baits, from early winter toearly spring, is the most successful method forcontrolling rabbits.

Exclusion fencing can be effective for small areaswhere frequent inspection and maintenance canbe carried out, because burial or excavation bywind can allow animals access to the enclosedsites.

Repellents can discourage browsing of newplantings by both rabbits and hares, but must beapplied several times a year to protect newgrowth. For control of hares, however, night-shooting is likely to be the most effective method.

Community-led pest-control projects, usingstandard methods for collection of informationabout rabbits and hares on sand dunes, couldmake a valuable contribution to protection andunderstanding of New Zealand’s coastal dunevegetation.

D E UnsworthCoastal Dune Vegetation Network

diana.unsworth@forestresearch.co.nz

Further information is available in a recentCoastal Dune Vegetation Network report,Rabbit and Hare Control in the CoastalEnvironment of New Zealand - Review andRecommendations, D E Unsworth, ForestResearch, Rotorua, 2005. Available fromgreg.steward@forestresearch.co.nz.

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March 2005 19

Conferences and WorkshopsSolutions to Coastal Disasters 2005May 8-11, 2005, Charleston, South Carolina, USA

The Coasts, Oceans, Ports and Rivers Institute(COPRI) of American Society of Civil Engineers(ASCE) 2005 conference will include topics onerosion, hurricanes, coastal storms, tsunamis,seismic Events, climate change, sea level rise, andwind hazards.

For further information visitwww.asce.org/conferences/cd05.

International Conference on Ocean/CoastalScience and Engineering EducationJune 6 – 8, 2005, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia

The conference aims to improve coastal/oceaneducation and to encourage collaboration. Paperson past experiences, new ideas, methodologies,international partnerships and results with regardto coastal/ocean engineering and scienceeducation and research are welcome.

For details visit:www.griffith.edu.au/school/eng/OCSEE/OCSEE.html

Land-Ocean Interactions in the Coastal ZoneConferenceJune 27-29, 2005, The Netherlands

The Land-Ocean Interactions in the Coastal Zone(LOICZ) inaugural open science meeting willaddress the geographic and scientific scope ofLOICZ research for the next decade. Abstracts areinvited on the following themes: vulnerability ofcoastal systems and hazards to people;implications of global change for coastalecosystems; anthropogenic influences on the riverbasin and coastal zone interactions; fate andtransformation of materials in coastal and shelfwaters; and coastal system sustainability by

managing land-ocean interactions.

For information see www.loicz.org/conferenceor contact the LOICZ conference secretariat atloicz.conference@nioz.nl.

International Conference on the MediterraneanCoastal EnvironmentSeptember / October, 2005, Kusadasi, Turkey

The bi-annual MEDCOAST Conference will focuson a wide range of coastal and marine issues andsubjects including coastal and marine policy,science, engineering and management.

For further information visitwww.medcoast.org.tr.

International Marine Protected Areas Congress23-27 October, 2005, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.

The IMPAC congress will encompass research,planning, management and conservation of MPAfrom inshore areas to deep seas.

For more information visitwww.impacongress.org or contact John Seniorjsenior@parks.vic.gov.au.

Canadian Coastal Conference6-9 November, 2005, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Topics of the 2005 CCC include: numerical andphysical modelling; development and applicationof coastal GIS; acquisition, analysis andinterpretation of coastal data; ice impacts onshorelines; instrumentation and methods; designof shore protection; innovative practices inengineering and shoreline management; andimpacts and adaptation to climate change.

For information, access www.ccc2005-ccl2005.ca.

Coasts and Ports ConferenceSeptember 20-23, 2005, Adelaide, Australia

The 2005 Coasts and Ports AustralasianConference is the melding of the 17thAustralasian Coastal and Ocean Engineeringand 10th Australasian Ports and Harbourconferences. This series provides a uniqueopportunity for those interested in coastalengineering and coastal and port developmentto share knowledge and experience for thebenefit of all.

Significant themes will include:

• Coastal processes: their modelling,prediction and management

• Coastal planning and policy• Catchment to coast• Local government and the coast• Aquaculture engineering, policy and

planning• Port infrastructure and its accommodation

within urbanised coastal areas

• Maximising port efficiency by coordinatingdiverse business needs

• Managing the needs of society, theenvironment and industry

• Innovation in coastal, ocean and portengineering

Key note speakers will be: Prof. Ian Young,Swinburne University of Technology, VincentTremaine, CE Flinders Ports, and Dr RobertEngler, PIANC.

The Conference will be held at the AdelaideHilton, in the centre of the city and adjacent toAdelaide's theatre and restaurant districts. Athree day scientific program is planned inassociation with a trade exhibition, acomprehensive partner program andopportunities for all delegates to enjoy pre andpost conference tours to some of Australia'smajor attractions.

For further information visitwww.plevin.com.au/coastsandports2005 oremail coastsandports2005@plevin.com.au.

Coastal News No. 2820