Hauraki Catchment Board Files – Whangamata

The Hauraki Catchment Board was established under the Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Act 1941 (and amendments). This Act was labelled ‘An Act to make provision for the conservation of soil resources and for the prevention of damage by erosion, and to make better provision with respect to the protection of property from damage by floods’. The first Catchment Boards were set up in 1943 and the Hauraki Catchment Board was established in 1947. The Board consisted of a maximum of 16 members, several governmental representatives from the: Ministry of Works and Development, Department of Lands and Survey, N. Z. Forest Service (after 1961), Department of Agriculture, and the majority of whom were elected from the local community. After 1958 the Farm Advisory Officers of the Department of Agriculture were transferred to the Ministry of Works and Development. Under the 1941 Act, Catchment Authorities were made responsible for flood control, drainage, soil conservation and controlling erosion. The administrative boundaries were generally catchment boundaries so that the Catchment Board's boundaries usually did not coincide with the Local County boundaries. Counties could also opt out of a Board's control, as in Coromandel where north of the Tararu and Tairua River Catchments the Act was administered by the Ministry of Works. The Water and Soil Conservation Act 1967 (and amendments), gave Catchment Authorities the dual role of regional water boards. As a result they became responsible for administering the water resources of the region. This involved the issuing of water rights for the take and discharge of water and the drawing up of water allocation plans for various users. The reform of the LA’s led to the formation of Regional Councils and as a consequence of this reform many Catchment Boards were amalgamated into wider regions where the political boundaries as opposed to catchment boundaries were used to define regions. The Hauraki Catchment Board was thus amalgamated into the Waikato Region, as was the northern part of the Coromandel Peninsula. Early file records for the northern part of the Coromandel Peninsula are contained in the files of Coromandel County and Ministry of Works Auckland (files cover the early part of the period) and later Hamilton. The file records for the southern part of the Coromandel Peninsula, south of Tararu and Tairua south to Waihi, are to be found in the Thames County records and also the Hauraki Catchment Board files. The early coastal records often refer to wharf structures, construction and maintenance as there was initially little roading present. However, with the development of roads in this area the beaches became a ready source of roading aggregate, particularly the shingle beaches of the Coromandel west coast. In 1922, a survey of the condition of the beaches used for shingle extraction indicated that many were over exploited. This resulted in a recommendation that the Marine Department close all beaches for extraction, south of a line between Long Bay (Auckland) and the Colville Channel. This effectively closed the Coromandel west coast beaches to sand extraction. The removal of sand and shingle for local use, particularly roading, continued around the Peninsula into the 1980s. Some sand was taken from the mouth of Whangapoua Harbour by dredging the ebb tide bar. This material was sold in Auckland. Similarly, sand was removed from the Maori Land block at the South end of Whiritoa Beach with the consent of the Maori Trustee. This material was also sold in Auckland. The majority of the Hauraki Catchment Board file notes centre around the problems with coastal development. Levelling dunes to create building sites was one problem, but the more controversial aspect was the width of the building set back from the high water mark (HWM). In 1984 the Hauraki Board came up with some guidelines for future developments which were superseded in a report by Environment Waikato (2002). Purpose: See data abstract below

1/22/0 Shingle from water courses. Volume 2. Report starts February 1957. Associated files: Lands and Survey file 3/686 Hamilton district Office. The land settlement Board was working a license to extract shingle, however it was not specified where they would be doing the extraction. SC, RCC and L&S issued a circular in 1956/7 on the control of shingle extraction in rivers; 1. In tidal rivers or where tidal action occurs it was owned by the Crown and controlled by the Marine dept, 2. Navigable rivers (as defined in s206 of the Coal Mines Act 1925) owned by the Crown and administered by L&S, 3. Non-navigable waterways where there are fishing or road reserves owned by Crown and administered by L&S, 4. On all other water courses the shingle is owned by the adjoining landowner. 1/22/0 Shingle from water courses. Volume 3. Report starts October 1971. In 1974 (Works file 72/25/2C/8), request for 1,500 yds3 (1146 m3) of material from the Otahu Stream bed for roading. NWASCO (file 72/2/1/11) produced draft guidelines for shingle extraction from New Zealand rivers and coasts. Many of the small streams in the Matamata - Piako area were mined for race metal for local farms in the late 1970’s and 1980’s. 1/22/0 Shingle from water courses Volume 4. Report starts April 1978. The file commences with a report on sand mining in the Coromandel Peninsula (Works file 47/16) stating that the HCB is to phase out mining in any area suspected of being a closed system or where there is insufficient information about the resource. There are a series of applications to mine sand from the entrance of Whangamata Harbour, Tairua Harbour, Whitianga Harbour and the Katikati entrance to Tauranga Harbour. 1/22/0 Shingle from water courses. Volume 6. Report starts July 1982. From late 1982 through to 1984 the Board were conducting a sand and shingle resource assessment for the whole of their region. A table of material used and the source for the previous two years is included in the report. It was noted that there had been a number of “one off” extractions approved in connection with bridge construction around the Peninsula. There is a draft copy of the Sand and Gravel Report. 2/11/0 Eastern Catchments. Parts of Thames and Ohinemuri Counties. Volume 3. Report period January 1974 to August 1975. The Whangamata inspection of 1972 noted: 1. Much of the main fore dune north of Otahu Point had been subdivided. There were signs of slight erosion in one area. 2. The site of the proposed subdivision (on Otahu Point) is on a type of peninsula with the seaward fore dune on one side and the Otahu estuary on the other. 28 June 1974: Erosion at Williamson Park and Otahu Estuary. Apparently Thames County had large scale aerial photographs covering Whangamata (Possibly Mosaics). The photographs were at a scale of 1:1250. 28 November 1974: A scheme plan for Wharekawa Harbour Resort Ltd and the Proposal put up for comment. On the 11th of December the Health Department turned down the proposed resort at Wharekawa harbour. The dept concluded that the use of septic tanks was unsatisfactory and that the scheme needed a proper sewage reticulation scheme 28 April 1975: a report of erosion of the dunes at 116 Pipi Road. The amount of erosion not stated. 22 May 1975: Apparent beach erosion opposite Lot 3 Mooloo Crescent Whangamata. Shown on the 1975 aerial photograph. 30 May 1975: Erosion at Lot 1 DP 32538 Whangamata Seaview Road. Locals claimed that erosion started in 1963 when the Council installed a stormwater drain to the west of Seaview Road. They claimed that the drain washed away sand and lowered the beach causing the erosion. The beach was inspected by the Hauraki Catchment Board during June 1975. It was claimed that it is evident that beach erosion is taking place from the Surf Club south to the point. Suggestion also exists that this section of coast has a history of instability. Report notes that Otahu Point was being proposed as a subdivision in 1972 but by July 1975 it is mentioned as a recreation reserve. A meeting about Otahu Point occurred on the 31st July 1975. It was stated that the land had been bought from the former owner as a Public Reserve but the question of valuation had yet to be resolved. Therefore the amount that could be subdivided was negligible. June 16 1975: Port Road subdivision proposed. Extract from the New Zealand Gazette said that sand was taken under Public Works Act 1928 for recreation reserve (copy on file). The regular inspections around the Whangamata beach erosion sites suggested that beach erosion was a continuing problem. Otahu Point Maoris paid $52,000 for the Point land. 2/11/0 Eastern Catchments–Parts of Ohinemuri and Thames Counties Volume 2. Report period 1971–1974. April 1971, the Ohinemuri Council hosted a meeting about the Waihi Beach protection wall. During May 1971 a meeting was held at Whangamata to discuss beach erosion and to determine if the Waihi Beach approach would be suitable for Whangamata. 19 May 1972: the County Council, HCB and the MWD staff inspected the erosion at Whangamata, especially near the Surf Club and Otahu estuary. Dunes to the south of the Surf Club had eroded to within 30 feet (9 m) of the property boundaries. The staff went on to discuss the proposed subdivision of the dunes at the mouth of Otahu estuary. The meeting then went to look at Waihi Beach. Whangamata Beach notes. Erosion commenced with an undocumented storm about 2 years prior (1970). The storm is thought to have caused erosion south of the Surf Club, threatening housing. The erosion then stopped for no apparent reason. If the conditions repeat themselves then half a chain (10 m) erosion will see sections eroded. February 1972: c. The Hauraki Catchment Board report was against the proposals. June 1972: The Maori Trustee applied for consent to sub-divide Otahu Point. September 1972: Some of the residents of Pohutukawa Drive, Whangamata, claimed that they only bought as they were on the understanding that the Otahu spit was a reserve. The site was not a legal reserve nor was it a burial ground. Only 4 Acres (1.6 ha) of the 11 acres (4.45 ha) was to be developed. 19-22 June: Report by J.G. Gibb on the condition of Buffalo Beach, Cooks Beach, Tairua, Whiritoa and Waihi beaches together with comments on the condition of the Tairua, Wharekawa and Whangamata estuaries. The report summarises many comments from earlier work on the Coromandel coast. However the descriptions of the beaches are important as they provide an “as is” description of the condition of the beaches at that time. November 1973: Proposal for the Beverley Hills subdivision at Whangamata. 2/11/0 Eastern Catchments: Parts Thames and Ohinemuri Counties. Report period 1963–1971. The flood of 8th March 1962 was the second or third highest flood in the previous 26–30 years. Largest flood was that of Jan-Feb 1936. February 1971: The Thames County engineer requests help from the Hauraki Catchment Board to look into the problems of coastal erosion at Whangamata.

Whangamata Beach, Whangamata Estuary and Otahu Estuary.

1957 - 1982

Frequency of collection: Irregular

Quality variable Gaps in collection: Some gaps in data collection Data quality: Quality variable

Hard copy written files

This data is publicly available in TCDC archives. Sensitivity/Confidentiality: No confidentiality – public information.

Files closed

Several Consent proposals concerning the Whangamata beach front, Otahu estuary and the Otahu Peninsula. Consents proposed by the Maori Trustee and concern farming ventures (mussel and oyster). Related information: These files are related to Ministry of Works and Ministry of Transport files.