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Sand extraction company McCallum Brothers has been refused resource consent to extract sand from the in-shore area of Pakiri Beach, but has been granted consent to continue to mine sand in the Mangawhai-Pākiri embayment’s mid-shore area.
The mid-shore consent is for 10 years, half the time McCallum’s requested.
The two consents were heard concurrently in July and September by hearing commissioners, on behalf of Auckland Council.
The decision confines the extraction area to the north of Te Arai Point and within the rohe of Te Uri o Hau, with a lesser extraction volume of 50,000 cubic metres a year.
The decision states that the consent is approved for a shorter duration than sought by the applicant, in recognition of the potential for increased erosion effects associated with climate change and to maintain sufficient resilience within the foredune and beach environment of the northern Pākiri embayment.
A total of 950 submissions were received in respect of the mid-shore application with 272 in support, four neutral and 674 in opposition. A similar number of submissions were received on the in-shore application.
The Rodney Local Board was among those who opposed both applications.
The applications sought consent to extract sand from the seabed, using a trailer suction dredge within area of the Coastal Marine Area.
In granting the mid-shore consent, the commissioners’ decision noted that during the course of the hearing, the applicant had included a number of not insignificant changes to the original proposal in terms of extraction volumes, duration of consent and method of monitoring.
The mid-shore consent was granted with conditions.
The applicant and submitters on the two consents have 15 days to file an appeal in the Environment Court.
