Ministry of Works Files – Colville Coast and North Coromandel Coast

The Ministry of Works and Development was the principal organisation carrying out the physical, engineering and environmental investigations for many government departments before it was disbanded in the 1980’s. Consequently, the Ministry of Works files contain a wealth of environmental information about the condition of our harbours, coastlines and waterways, both as they were originally, and as they were modified during settlement. To fully understand these files they need to be read in conjunction with information from other Government Organisations, in order to place the investigations into context. For example the development of the West Coast mobile sand dune problems and the subsequent attempts to stabilise them needs to be studied in conjunction with the Maori Affairs Department and the Department of Lands and Survey files. Both of these departments were involved in financing sand stabilisation projects. Eventually the work of sand dune conservation, (formerly done by the Agriculture Department and then by the Ministry of Works Soil Conservators (Water and Soil Division) after 1958), was passed on to the New Zealand Forest Service; who took control of nearly all exotic forest planting and management together with some erosion control functions where pine forests were involved. From 1958 onwards the Ministry of Works Water and Soil Division was the service provider for NWASCA (National Water and Soil Conservation Authority) and SC&RCC (Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Council), which authorised the funding for the many soil conservation activities throughout the country. All projects submitted for funding to the Authority by the various Catchment Authorities were examined by members of the Ministry of Works Water and Soil Division to ensure they were soundly based, before funding was approved. Thus, as the adviser to other government departments and NWASCA, the Ministry of Works played a pivotal role in land development and conservation throughout its existence. These files as a result contain a wealth of historical information about; land development, flood control schemes and soil conservation in New Zealand. Because of their extensive engineering knowledge, the Ministry of Works and Development (MWD) reviewed various engineering structures such as wharf construction, reclamations and coastal aggregate mining licenses for the Marine Department and later the Ministry of Transport. From the early 1970s, the Hauraki Catchment Board was beginning to include Coromandel County within its operational district. Thus from this date the Hauraki Catchment Board have file data relevant to the northern part of the Peninsula. Purpose: See data set abstract below

12/1: Harbours and foreshores: Harbour and river works general 1926-1937: July 1930: Regulations for the reclamation of mudflats for agricultural and pastoral purposes passed and gazette May 1930. File 96/108 000: Colville Bay extraction sewage discharge Reconstruction 1956. File contains a proposal to build a stopbank on the Waikawa Stream to reduce flooding of the flat land areas of local farms. Farmers wanted a £2 for £1 subsidy. (This file includes references to 96/095 000, 96/105 000 and Paeroa Works 22/1/1 Lands and Survey 20/464 and Marine Dept M4/4581). Reclamation behind the stopbank was claimed to be a means of cleaning up an unsightly part of the farm (from a Lands and Survey Officer). Note: the differing attitude to wetlands then compared to present day. In 1961 there were proposals to improve the drainage of the Ngakuku Stream south of Colville. This was approved and stopped the flooding in the town. Part of any of these approvals was that government would fund the subsidy but the local authority had to undertake the maintenance (See Coromandel County file 14/9/62). In 1965 there was an application for swamp drainage on the Brindle property, Colville. The proposal was an attempt to reclaim tidal lands for farming, farmers applied for a subsidy. The outcome is not on file. File 96/104 000. Amodeo Bay 1951–1963. From the 23rd to 26th July 1959, 8.65 inches (220 mm) of rain fell and a further 3 inches (75 mm) fell on the 2nd August. Coromandel County applied for flood damage funds. The damage was estimated at £9,950 (Files: County 10/10, Works Paeroa 1/2 Dept Agriculture 26/11/1). Application by farmers for subsidy for flood damage improvements was approved. 12/1 Harbours and foreshores: Harbour and river works general 1926-1937. March 1927 - A contractor was reported to have taken 50 Yds3 (38 m3) of shingle from "Twaits Beach" Amodeo Bay for construction of a concrete bridge and culvert without a license. The work was being done on the Coromandel Colville road. Approval to take shingle was being given by the local Public Works Department staff. The eventual total removed was 265 yds3 (203 m3). Additional file is 1/44 Paeroa Residency. File 6/160. Otautu Wharf, Coromandel Peninsula 1929–1983. File starts with a report on Colville Bay Wharf. It discusses engineering aspects of wharf construction and indicates that farm produce and fertiliser are still being shipped in and out of the area in 1951. 7/10 Harbour and Marine works – Foreshores - Amodeo Bay 1920-1920. September 1920: Application to erect a concrete wall to protect a launch. Approved by the Resident Engineer, Paeroa as the coast was rock and not likely to erode. End of file. 7/1 Harbour and Marine Works Annual Reports 1946-1969. November 1962: Proposal by Coromandel County to remove shingle from Melsop’s Crossing (Urarimu Stream) north of Waiaro. Volume of material not stated. For details of sand mining at this and other sites go to Paeroa File 7/2. 7/2 Harbour and Marine Works: Removal of sand Coromandel Peninsula. 1958-1970. In the 1950s the Lands and Survey Department was responsible for all Crown land and this included river and stream beds. Ministry of Works and the local County Councils often used shingle from local streams for roading material. To simplify licensing these activities and Lands and Survey issued a blanket licence to Ministry of works to take shingle from all rivers and Streams. The Ministry of Works then issued permits to the County Councils and sent in a quarterly return to the Lands and Survey Department. Much of the content of this file contains these returns from the different areas of the Coromandel Peninsula and the collated summaries sent to the Lands and Survey Department. August 1951: There several memos referring to illegal taking of sand and shingle from beaches. Associated files Paeroa 24/256, SH39/1/1 and SH72/25/2C/6 also Paeroa 24/1256 October to December 1960. February 1963: Colville Bay, Sills Point. A plan to remove 100 yds3 (76 m3) shingle dumped as part of earlier road widening. July 1963: There was an application to remove 250 yds3 (190 m3) from Melsop’s Beach (Urarimu Stream) north of Waiaro. May 1967: The County Council applied to remove shingle from Tokotarea, Colville and Goat Bay. Permit was also sought for the area below High Water spring tide for Melsop’s Crossing (Urarimu Stream) and Goat Bay. The resident engineer recommended 300 yds3 (230 m3) annually for Goat Bay and 500 yds3 (382 m3) annually from below the high water spring tide mark at Melsop’s Crossing. September 1968: Coromandel County requesting a permit to take 2,000 yds3 (1,530 m3) per year from the Urarimu Stream for flood mitigation and local roading. 7/2 Harbour and Marine Works: Removal of sand Coromandel Peninsula. Volume II 1970-1974. Note: This file contains 3 monthly returns of material taken from beaches and streams in the Coromandel Peninsula and sent to the Lands and Survey Department who was responsible for Crown Land. This summary does not include these returns and anyone wanting to know where and when material was taken will need to consult these files at Archives NZ. October 1971: Coromandel County applied for permits to take material from a number of beaches and streams, specifically Papa Aroha Creek, Goat Bay, Whangarahi Stream, Okahutahi Stream (Sandy Bay), and the Urarimu Stream at Melsops Crossing. A total of 9,760 yds3 (7,562 m3) of material was applied for. At the same time Parry Brothers Ltd applied for 3,000 yds3 (2,294 m3) from the entrance to Whangapoua Harbour and Mr Simpson of Whitianga applied for 500 yds3 (382 m3) from Kuaotunu beach. March 1972: J. Goudie applies for 250 yds3 (191 m3) per year from Colville Harbour. 7/2 Harbour and Marine Works: Removal of sand Coromandel Peninsula. Volume III 1974-1976. February 1974: Application to remove 20 yds3 of sand (15 m3) from Papa Aroha. The request was directed to Melsop’s Crossing (Urarimu Stream). May 1974: The Lands and Survey Department lost control of sand mining in rivers and beaches to the Mines Department. Control of sand removal now came under the Mines Act 1970. Ministry of Works now told that would have to apply to the Mines Department for a blanket approval to take sand and shingle from the catchments of the Peninsula. This was a continuation of the system run by the Lands and Survey Department. Ministry of Works then issued permits to remove material to local bodies and contractors. May 1974: Ministry of Works were told by the Mines Department that shingle removal from streams etc. was better dealt with under the Lands Act 1948 and that the Lands and Survey should control such licences. November 1974: Continuing arguments at Falcon Bay (Otautu Bay) between bach owners and a local resident over the effects of his shingle removal on the beach. November 1975: Falcon Bay (Otautu Bay). Local resident requested a permit to remove shingle from this site. A permit was recommended to take 100 m3 /year. The District Commissioner of Works Hamilton raised concerns about the volume of material being taken. He was sceptical that the volume removed was greater than permitted. October 1975 Melsop’s Crossing, Urarimu Stream. TCDC requested to take 1,500 m3 per year. This was approved subject to keeping the site tidy and safe. April 1976: Falcon Bay (Otautu Bay): A complaint was made that the licencee was exceeding his licence and leaving the beach in a mess. The inspector confirmed that about 200 m3 had been taken (100m3 licenced). Photos were taken but are not in file (try Hamilton 47/16). November/December 1975: Approval was given to take 8 m3 from Waitete Bay for local tracks. There are photos in the file. 7/2 Harbour and Marine Works: Removal of sand Coromandel Peninsula. Volume IV 1977–1981. January 1977: Big Bay. Approval was given to take 75 m3 from the beach. February 1977: The Ministry of Transport instigated a requirement that the local Catchment Authority would have to be involved in approval of any sand mining operations. June 1977: Ministry of Transport asked the Ministry of Works if there were any other beaches that were suitable for mining out of the public eye. March 1978: The Hauraki Catchment Board and Ministry of Works agree to work together on matters of coastal sand extraction. June 1978: The Thames Valley Gazette ran an article that reviewed present sand mining permits. Included was a report by R.W. Harris, on "Sand and Shingle Extraction from Coromandel Beaches and its Relation to Coastal Erosion" The report concludes that the existing licences should be declined. File 47/16. Melsop’s Crossing, Urarima Stream. File commences August 1968. The Coromandel County requested a permit for 2,000 yds3 (1530 m3) for local roading. A survey was made of the beach where shingle was being removed. The start date for shingle extraction is not given. The fact that there was a survey indicates there was some problem with the extraction site and possibly the local land owners. The site where extraction takes place is in the legal river bed, which becomes a flood channel in times of high flows. Report suggested that that 2,000 yds3 (1530 m3) could be removed annually without damaging the beach. In 1971 there is a brief memo supporting an annual removal rate of 2,000 yds3 (1530 m3) as part of a flood control measure as well as metal supply. In 1974 the continued removal of 2,000 yds3 (1530 m3) was approved. The 1975 application for 1500 m3 was also approved. File 47/16. Waitete Bay. The first request for shingle from the beach came in 1965. In 1966 after an inspection it was decided that the beach could stand small amounts of extraction for local use only, and no commercial use of material could be allowed. No volumes of material were given. In 1972 a resident applied to remove 10 m3 of sand per annum. This was approved and by December 1972 there were complaints from locals that the beach was not reinstating itself. The beach was inspected in January 1973 and the report from that inspection said that the beach was in better condition than it had been at any time in the last four years. The report noted that north to north-easterly storms could remove up to 0.7 m of material from the beach surface and south-westerly waves could replace material. The report noted that the volume of 10 m3 was very small compared to the volume of natural changes. In 1974 the extraction licence was renewed. The licence was renewed for 8m3 in April 1975. The removal of 8 m3 was recommended in December 1975 but with restrictions on the depth of excavation and a request to make the site safe for beach users. This requirement suggests that holiday making in the area was becoming more common. The report includes three photographs of the bay. File 47/16. Papa-Aroha Beach. Report commences 1949. Application for a licence to take shingle after taking approximately 100 yds3 over the previous year. Site access would need to be made down the road reserve. The present access was through a neighbour’s property. The available quantity of material was noted to be very variable with shingle waves forming from 2 to 5 feet high (0.6–1.5 m). Because of this variability, 300 yds3 (230 m3) annually was approved with the maximum volume in any month not to exceed 50 yds3 (38 m3). The report noted that the next nearest beach with accessible shingle was at Waiaro, north of Colville. In February 1950 an inspection was carried out and found that because of the shingle demand caused by the development of Whangapoua Beach that 1,000 yds3 (7646 m3) had been removed from the beach and river mouth. The camping ground owner placed a gate across the access road to restrict trucks and people accessing the beach. In summarising the situation the Works engineer said that the Marine Dept had approved licences for four suppliers to extract 620 yds3 (474 m3) annually, over double the recommended amount. One operator who had exceeded his limit substantially had his licence cancelled and the volume shared among the other operators. In 1963 Coromandel County were requiring road metal for the rapidly improving communications in the district. The County applied for 6000 yds3 (4588 m3) but this was halved to 3000 yds3 (2294 m3) at the Works recommendation. There was a proviso that more frequent inspections would be needed to determine the effect of this removal on the beach. In April 1964 the owner reports that the beach is being severely damaged by the excessive removal of shingle. He claims that much more than 3000 yds3 (2294 m3) of material are being removed annually. The Resident Engineers report indicates that the owner was probably exaggerating the damage and volume of material extracted. The report notes that longshore drift is from the south and that that wave action could fill the area mined by washing shingle off the beach in front of the property. The lack of freshes in the stream was thought to be partly responsible for lack on new material on the beach. Resolved to let the County remove 50 yds3 (38 m3) per month if required. There was a need for cheap road metal by the County. In August 1965 an application by a private individual to take 40 yds3 (30 m3) for use as metal for a private access was refused for fear of it causing every local to go to the beach for metal for their driveways without getting a permit. The April 1966 file concerns shingle removal by another local resident, who had purchased 7 acres of land at the southern end of the beach. He wanted to take 100 yds3 (76 m3) for roading, as part of the Camping ground development. The report noted that the shingle had built up at the stream mouth after the previous year depletion. However, it noted that the shingle flat to the south had eroded approximately half a chain (10 m) since 1964, suggesting that rather than the stream re-supplying shingle it was moved from the south by littoral drift. The report recommended that the removal of 100 yds3 (76 m3) was to be approved and a careful watch kept on the beach. In August 1967 approval was given for 1000 yds3 (760 m3) to be removed from the stream channel but no material was to be taken from the bar at the creek mouth. This option was preferred to prevent erosion of the southern end of the beach to fill the hole. This report refers to some photographs and there is a diagram of where they were taken from. The September report recommends that the restriction on removal from the river bed remains, and no taking of material from the beach is allowed. In January 1970 the restriction on the creek bed was maintained with maximum annual extraction not to exceed 800 yds3 (600 m3), depending on the number of freshes that bring down shingle from the high country. In April 1971 the tidal area of the stream mouth was the only area approved for mining but the maximum volume thought to be available, depending of the winter storms, was raised to 4000 yds3 (3100 m3). The report also suggested that priority be given to the County for road metal. The 1974 inspection approved the removal of 1500 yds3 (1150 m3) for County use. In August 1974 a permit was issued for the tidal stream channel at Papa Aroha to Colville transport for 500 yds 3 (382 m3) of shingle. A report in November 1975 indicated that there was erosion of the grassed flat to the south and that a 1 m vertical bank backed the shingle beach. Shingle sources were thought to be from offshore or from the southern beach with possibly some coming from the south beyond the bay, or the stream channel. The report thought that 1000 yds3 (764 m3) could be taken annually. It was noted that there were other sites where shingle was available to the north and south of Papa Aroha. Some site photographs were taken. The County was the only authorised shingle extractor in 1976. File 47/16. Amodeo Bay In May 1974 authorisation was given to take 8 yds3 (6 m3) per day of shingle from the back of the beach adjacent to the main highway at Amodeo Bay. The total amount to be taken was not specified. July 1930: Regulations for the reclamation of mudflats for agricultural and pastoral purposes passed and gazette May 1930. File 47/16. Tokotarea and Goat Bays Goat Bay did not appear to have much material in 1967, but it was recommended that 300 yds3 (230 m3) could be taken annually from this site. Melsop’s Crossing on the Urarima Stream was though to contain more material and a limit of 500 yds3 (380 m3) per annum was permitted. By 1974 an inspection at Goat Bay reported that there was no evidence of shingle removal having any effect and recommended that 1,000 yds3 (765 m3) be removed annually. Thus sometime between 1967 and 1973 the amount removed had increased from 500 to 1,000 yds3. In 1975 the extraction was reduced to 600 m3 and the depth of extraction to no more than 0.6 m. Photos were taken of the site. File 47/16. Falcon Bay Colville Harbour Licencee applied to remove shingle from a spit that had developed at the mouth of the bay in March 1972. Works recommended that 300 to 400 yds3 (230–300 m3) per annum could be removed. By May 1972 a local was complaining that the foreshore was being damaged. Photographs were provided as evidence. Despite the complaints, approval was given for 250 yds3 to be removed for the 1973 year. In October 1974 a complaint was made about the location of the licencee’s tractor being inconvenient for other beach users, and also that he was leaving the beach in an unsafe state. The bach owners rented land on the road reserve from the Coromandel County Council so that the tractor accessed the beach close to the houses, as this was the legal access. The licence for 1975 was issued for 150 yds3 (115 m3). An alternative site for shingle removal was suggested by the licencee (NZMS1 N39 959892, NZMS 260 T10 U10 303066). This material had more fines and therefore bonded in a similar manner to the Falcon Bay sediments. The 1975 inspection showed that the shingle spit had increased in volume and that the licencee was taking out his full quota of shingle at one time thus leaving a hole in the beach. The recommendation for 1976 was 100 m3 for the year with no more than 20 m3 per month. This was to ensure the beach contours were safe for the Public to have access to the sea. Note: the mid 1970s appear to be the time when there was increasing importance on having public access to the beach in many areas. An inspection in March 1976 found the licencee had taken twice his allowed volume of material and had left the beach in a mess. His licence was to be revoked for the rest of the year and no licence approved in 1977 unless the beach showed a build up and he operated within the terms of his licence. In June 1976, the licencee stated he had been removing material from the shingle spit for 40 years and that the shingle in front of the baches was approximately three times what it was 15 years ago. However, the site inspection showed that approximately 320 m3 of material had been taken from the Spit from October 1975 to June 1976. There is a reference to frequent storms in the region but no comment if these had done beach or foreshore damage on the Coromandel Peninsula. Photographs of the site were taken. In 1977 the licencee was given approval to remove 75 m3 material provided that no more than 20 m3 per month were taken and material must be from the end of the spit. The site must also be left clean and tidy. The report included photographs of the site and the fenced off access. The May 1978 inspection found the beach in a stable condition. Photographs of the site were taken. The licence for the 1977 calendar year was issued for 75 m3. The report noted that shingle for the spit had been sourced from erosion of road material further to the west and as this erosion had been rectified that supply of shingle will dwindle to nothing. File 47/16. Waiaro Bay This file documents an application for shingle extraction below the high water mark at Waiaro Bay. As of May 1953 the aim of the licence was to set up a crushing plant for making road metal. The licence was limited to 300 yds3 (230 m3). The report contains a reference to the Rabone Report 1950, which shows erosion at the southern end of the beach. An alternative site for shingle extraction if sea conditions are too rough is at the southern end of the lagoon behind the beach. File 74/30/28 Part 1. Coastal erosion surveys. Report covers period 1974 to 1983. BOPCC file 21/4. The file notes the existence of the Bay of Plenty Coastal Erosion Survey (1977) and the Coromandel Coastal Survey (1981). The storms of July 1978 appear to have started a review of protection works around the coast. The list includes; Kawhia 1953, Ohope 1954 (Tropical cyclone) Maketu Domain 1965, Waihi Beach 1968, Ohiwa 1969, Whitianga Esplanade 1969, Whangamata 1970, Kawhia 1970, Whitianga 1970, Waihi Beach 1971, Ohiwa 1972, Aotea 1972, Whitianga 1972, Ohope 1973, Miranda 1975, Waihi 1975, Kawhia community shore 1975, Waihi estuary 1977, Marakopa estuary 1974. File 74/30/5/1/1 (pt 2). Hauraki Catchment Board Hydrology; Operational surveys. File contains a proposal for a thesis studying the west coast of the Coromandel Peninsula by Mr Reitema. There is no information on whether this study went ahead. File 12/243/1: Harbours and foreshores. This file contains the Rabone Report (Beach sand and shingle supplies, Auckland and Coromandel Areas, Special Report November 1950) which described individual beaches and their suitability for supplying sand of shingle aggregate for industrial purposes to Auckland City and some of the supporting investigation information. Much of the file is on the Auckland and Northland region with a later section on Coromandel Beaches. The coverage reflects the reduction in importance of the Coromandel area as a source of industrial sand and shingle for the Auckland area. The file also contains the photos and negatives used in the report. There are also notes on meetings held with sand merchants, land owners, and regulatory authorities. Note: Marine Department file M4/1965 contains a request for a copy of Rabone's study. It is reported here that the Marine Department supplied copies of the 1911, 1923 and 1924 reports as background information for the Rabone report. Following the Rabone report the Engineer in Chief recommended that all beaches on the east coast of Auckland Province be closed to mining. This created strong opposition from the sand mining interests and construction industry in Auckland. A petition was sent to parliament complaining about the beach closures and Mr Sheat (MP) went on a tour of the Firth of Thames and along the east coast of the Northland Peninsula. As a result Mr Sheat came back with the recommendation that that the sand could be removed from Pakiri, Mangawhai Heads and the Waipu River mouth as was being done in 1952, and recommended by Rabone (1950). There was no comment about Coromandel beaches at this time. File 12/243 contains a report dated 1958 which suggests the recommendations by Rabone to close all beaches was too harsh and though sand mining had not stopped after the 1950 report, this report recommended that mining to continue. During the 1960s there were a number of applications to take sand from offshore islands or other remote areas such as the Kaipara Harbour, which had been regarded as uneconomical while the east coast beaches could be mined. The Rabone (1950) report contains a number of recommendations for the Coromandel, including: Waiaro Beach: Wright (1911) noted plenty of shingle. Attwood and Tanner (1923) recommended that continued removal be allowed. By the time of the Rabone (1950) report, the beach had retreated and the recommendation was to close the beach to scow removals. A limit of 300 yds3 was recommended for local usage. Urarima (Mc Donalds) Beach: Large quantities of shingle had been removed in the past and forced the relocation of the highway. Rabone (1950) recommended that all beaches north of Waiaro to Port Jackson be closed to mining. January 1953: Application to use Waiaro shingle for Roading purposes by a resident of Coromandel. March 1957 - a statement that many east coast beaches had been eroded over the last 1.5-2 years by excessive easterly gales. Shell sand was used for roading in the Warkworth area in the 1950s by Ministry of Works. After the 1923(?) report closed the beaches between Waiwera and Cape Colville merchants bought land near shingle beaches and mined the deposit to the high water mark allowing beach material to flow into the hole and therefore ensure a continuous supply of material for supply. This practice continued beach denudation for many years. After the Rabone report there was a recommendation that all east coast beaches be closed to mining after 1953. By November 1957 no decision had been made by the Marine Department and a report was requested to endorse the Rabone Report. There is no evidence of this report on the file. September 1958 Marine Department recommended no action be taken to close the east coast beaches because of the detrimental effect this would have on building costs and loss of jobs in the aggregate industry.

West Coast of the Coromandel Peninsula from north of Coromandel Harbour to Fletcher Bay (including Colville).

1929-1983

Frequency of collection: Irregular