Ministry of Transport Files - Eastern Bays

These files from the Ministry of Transport deal mainly with the administrative aspects of structures, reclamations, power, telephone, and pipeline crossings of waterways around the marine foreshore and in navigable rivers and lakes. There is not a lot of environmental information in these files but occasionally there is a copy of a report that deals with the environmental aspects of a structure. In about 1964 the Ministry of Transport (MOT) took over the role of licensing structures on the foreshore from the Marine Department (MD) and employed the Ministry of Works and Development (MWD) as its environmental advisers. Reports from the MWD therefore contain much of the environmental information available in these files. Purpose: This dataset provides a brief discussion of coastal information contained within historical Ministry of Transport files, collected during a review commissioned by Environment Waikato as part of the Coastal Database project. The Ministry of Transport (MoT) was responsible for the administration of structures in the CMA and in navigable rivers and lakes from 1964 to 1997. These files are now held in Environment Waikato’s archives. These files contain useful information on the history and legal status of existing coastal structures.

54/1/415: Kuaotunu Boat ramp. This subject is covered in a number of later files as well. Coromandel County council file 11/8/18. Paeroa MWD 7/1. 54/1/814: Breakwater, Kuaotunu. TCDC file V4/73. Work completed 1985. 54/14/7/4: Sand and Shingle, Kuaotunu Part 1 1961. Authorisation in 1961 to take “reasonable quantities” of sand and shingle from Kuaotunu Beach. Coromandel County file 2/11. August 1962 notes sea erosion of the foundation of SH 25. County recommend that the two licenses be revoked till the beach recovers. November 1962, removal east of the Pitoone Stream to quarry stopped. Extraction to the west of the Pitoone Stream. By 1969 estimated removal 500 yd3. See later report by Resident Engineer, Paeroa. By 1971 there was erosion of the dune toe to the west of the Pitoone Stream and there was more care in reporting beach condition. Part 2 Starts in September 1972. Report by Resident Engineer, Paeroa. File records indicate that the Wahine storm reduced beach levels by about 8 feet (2.4 m). The removal firms had risen to three operators taking a combined amount of 2,000 yd3 per year. Of this 1,000 yd3 was being taken from east of the Pitoone Stream. Each operator allowed to take only 250 yd3 from east of the Pitoone Stream. By 1974 Simpson Trucking applying for 250 yd3 per month. Extraction rose to 2,500 yd3 per year. File lists the current extraction sites on the Coromandel Peninsula: Falcon Bay, Kuaotunu, Papa Aroha, Goat Bay Whangaraho, and Okahutahi (Sandy Bay). The District Commissioner of Works (DCW), Hamilton was getting worried and asked for a report on beach condition (in file). File 47/16. Part 3 starts in 1975. MWD note that they do not police extraction and rely on miners to be honest about removals. Report by DCW, Hamilton asking for a Coromandel-wide study of coastal condition. Indications are that the beaches are not in good condition, particularly Papa Aroha. Note 1974 was a very stormy year with most east coast beaches being severely depleted of sand. By 1975 wanted to check the volumes of concrete manufactured to get an approximate idea of the amount of aggregate taken. The Resident Engineer at Paeroa suspicious that sand extraction was greater than claimed. In 1976 the MOT was advising the extractors that some beaches might have to be closed to mining in the future. Advised them that they should be looking for alternative sources of sand. May 1976 a tightening of mining conditions. Beach wardens of a MOT officer be able to demand an immediate inspection of the extraction records of any firm taking sand. Licensing year changed June to May and no removals over the Christmas holiday or public holidays. This led to a concrete firm running out of aggregate over the Christmas period. Showed need for stockpiling sand. The closer record checking led to there being a dispute in amount extracted by the firms compared to what the MWD tallyman claimed had been taken. MOT request MWD to keep close watch on extraction. Otama and Opito beaches were inspected but not considered suitable for concrete sand. Possibly the real reason was because of the extra transport costs of trucking material over the Black Jack road. Later Auckland barge firms requested to mine the nearshore bar at Otama. July 14 1978: the Hauraki Catchment Board produced its report. “Sand and Shingle extraction from Coromandel Beaches and its relation to coastal erosion”. File 1/22/0. Period of wind down and final closure of the beach. 1979 licenses for 2350 m3 total of three applicants. In 1980, the beach was closed in May to be reviewed in 6 months. 1981 Total of 2,200 m3 approved 1982 were still mining at the end of the file. Mining ceased 1984 and an application to mine Otama beach was made see file (54/14/7/59). 54/14/7/60: Sand and Shingle Otama 1984. Applicants Hodge, Coast Concrete and Mercury Bay Ready Mix. MWD Hamilton 47/16, TCDC D15/7/2, Lands and Survey 8/5/235/31. Licensed each operator for 600 m3. Need to apply to Lands and Survey for Access across Crown Land. Nine photographs of Otama Beach and two photographs of Kuaotunu beach 1984.Access problems meant that sand could not be taken. Replacement sand had to be obtained from Mercer. 54/14/7/58: Sand and shingle extraction Kuaotunu. Starts as previous Kuaotunu file. Reproduces some extracts from the Hauraki Catchment Board report on the Coromandel Coast. TCDC file V4. November letter from TCDC says that the council will support extraction of sand from Tairua Harbour. February 1983 found a few discrepancies between the tallyman and the concrete firm’s records. MWD 1983 report by Smith and Harray did not support continued mining. Hauraki Catchment Board recommended Otama Beach despite TCDC suggesting Tairua Harbour. TCDC file V11 recommends closure of beach. 54/14/7/44: Sand and shingle Kuaotunu 1981. Ready Mix Whitianga. Notes discrepancies between the tally man and the concrete firms returns. No new information. 54/14/7/14: Sand and shingle Kuaotunu 1967 File finishes 1974. Contains no new information about this beach. 54/14/7/5: Sand and Shingle Kuaotunu M. A. Hodge 1960. Something occurred in 1962 and caused the MOT to ask the MWD to carry out a survey of the beach and report whether the licenses should be revoked. No further information. If annual inspections were carried out between 1960 and 1972 there is no record of it on this file. The beach recovery after the Wahine Storm (cyclone Gazelle) was about 30,000 yds3. By 1974 there was a much closer look being taken at the beach condition and the amount of sand removed. In 1976 there was the first suggestion that mining might have to stop. End of file. There is a second volume which is not numbered. It commences 1982 and states that miners should look for another beach to remove material from. 54/15/48: Removal of material, Coromandel Vol 2 1973-1981. The file covers a number of beaches. Much of the material on this file is also on the site specific files e. g., Whiritoa or Kuaotunu files. Complaints about sand removal from Kuaotunu from visitors. In 1976 there were complaints that sand extraction over summer holidays was upsetting visitors. Complaint from MWD staff that everyone was ready to complain but no-one was willing to take on the job of a tallyman, even after accusing the extractors of taking too much sand. 54/19/15: Bridge Kuaotunu. Stewart Stream, the Black Jack. No environmental information. 54/14/7/51: Sand and Shingle Otama beach 1983. Licence given to take material from Otama beach but a local environmentalist objected by claiming the licence was invalid and delayed the extraction by a year before MOT confirmed that the license was valid. Extraction ceased because of lack of suitable access. 54/14/7/59: Sand and Shingle extraction Otama Beach 1984. Some repetition with above file but comments on photographs which are not discussed on the previous file. It was proposed to construct a track down a scarp on the east side of the stream at Otama to give truck access and trailer access for locals to the beach for boat launching. The original crossing was too soft for trucks to use. File contains a detailed report from the Resident Engineer Paeroa. In summary the cost of access was too expensive to justify license. All attempts at mining ceased 1985. 54/17/8: Roads Coromandel Peninsula, volume 1 1930. 1958, the bridge crossing the stream at the west end of Rings Beach. 1978 Otama Stream Crossing. The file does not specify if these are new crossings of replacement bridges. The Resident Engineer suggests the method of crossing the Otama Stream is partly reclamation. Other files mentioned TCDC G1/-/3 (1978).

Eastern Bays, including Kuaotunu East, Kuaotunu West, Rings, Otama and Opito Bay beaches.

1950s to 1984.

Casual observation. Infrequent measurements. Infrequent/irregular data collection, though at Kuaotunu some taken annually.

See above. Completeness: Many files and pieces of information from the files are missing. Many engineer's reports are missing from the files held by Environment Waikato.

Physical files.

Background information on the past activities in this area.

Freely available from EW archives. No confidentiality, publicly available.

Files closed. Include a note where this record continues after end date of file where possible – e.g. Dept of Conservation files. These files have been continued where appropriate but have been amalgamated and given a new file number by DOC making sourcing more recent information difficult.

Sand and Shingle Mining. The winning of aggregate from the foreshore is noticeable as an early occupation of coastal freighters, particularly scows. Beach sediments did not need crushing for the most part and were therefore in high demand as cheap roading material, especially for the growing Auckland market. Where shingle was not readily available, shell material was used for a road surfacing material. Most of the files stored at Environment Waikato start in the 1960s or later and refer to earlier files about the same beaches. Therefore in Archives in either Auckland or Wellington there are probably earlier files outlining activities prior to 1960. There is also a reference to a previous ban on sand mining along the west coast of the Coromandel prior to 1960. This may refer to changes that were enacted after the Rabone Report of 1950. The sand mining applications also highlight the importance of coastal traffic right up to the 1960s and 1970s. Fertiliser was shipped to Whitianga wharf from Auckland and Tauranga and scows took a back load of sand from Whangapoua Harbour entrance to Auckland to lower their costs. Mining licences were also pursued at other beaches such as Otama so that scows could load under differing wind and wave conditions. Boat ramps These appear associated with two activities. Commercial fishing or the storage of a boat used occasionally. As roads improved and boat-building materials became lighter the trailed boat became more popular. This in turn put pressure on local County Councils to either build boat ramps or license boat ramps to be built by for fishing or Boat clubs to access the water. After a burst of activity in the 1960s and 1970s many clubs were wound up leaving the structure the responsibility of the local Council. Related information: All these files are related to Ministry of Works and Development files as the MWD was the adviser to MOT.