Mangrove removal enters next phase

The next phase of mangrove removal under the Mangawhai Harbour Restoration Society’s (MHRS) 2013 Resource Consent begins in March with the planned removal of up to 15 hectares from the inner harbour.

The areas targeted for removal this year by the Society are:

* Insley St causeway, where approximately 1.7 hectares of mangroves are located.

* Black Swamp Road, 0.85 hectares of mangroves.

* “Mangrove Island” the sand island in the central harbour where approximately 12 hectares are located.

The contract to remove more than 150 tonnes of mangroves from these areas has been awarded to Dave Smith, a local contractor who was successful ahead of four other national contractors who bid for the removal job in January this year.

Dave Smith, who was responsible for the initial mangrove removal contract at the Lincoln St reserve in March 2014, has a logging business and is well known in Mangawhai under his business name Dave Smith Logging.

MHRS president Trevor Downey said that expressions of interest to remove the approximate 15 hectares of mangroves in 2015 were sought from suitably qualified contractors in December 2014 through nationwide advertising.

Four contractors submitted bids under the strict terms of the Resource Consent.

This year’s mangrove removal project will begin with the removal of 1.7 hectares from the area in Insley St. The area is on the harbour side of Insley St, just southeast of the Mangawhai School. Removal areas will be signposted.

Following the Insley St removal the contractor will remove mangroves from the corner of Insley St and Black Swamp Rd and also from further along on the left of Black Swamp Rd.

Sand Island will be the final project, but it is not expected that this removal will begin until late autumn.

To ensure the mangrove removal project meets all the strict conditions of the Society’s Resource Consent, it will be project managed by Andre and Robin La Bonte, principals of LaBonte Coastal Consultants, coastal environmental consultants, based in Waipu Cove.

Andre or Robin will be on-site during the project.

By Peter Nicholas