northland chamber

Hatea River Crossing

In August of this year the Hatea Hub Group presented the council with an alternative harbour crossing option to that of the proposed bridge. This interest group consisting of business people, designers, engineers and ecologists proposed rather than spanning the upper harbour with a traditional bridge, a combination of a weir and drawbridge/lock was proposed to the council which they are considering and evaluating against the proposed bridge options.
This raised a number of questions that the Hatea Hub Group has responded to.
Will it have a significant detrimental effect on flooding of the CBD in extreme weather/rainfall?
• With the inclusion of several moveable “gates”, the lock being able to be open in extreme rainfall events and the design height of the weir (2.2m above Chart datum) calculations by engineers have shown there to be negligible impact.
Will the harbour silt up?
• The same amount of silt will come down regardless of the “lock”, the distribution will change and further modeling will be done. Most silt will come down in extreme rainfall events, and this is when the “gates” are open, however with the water above the weir being 2.2m above CD the (annual) task of dredging will be a lot easier in that area.
Will all the mangroves die?
• No, very unlikely with the 2.2m weir height a lot of the pneumatophores will be exposed at this level. What will happen is that they are less likely to spread further into the channels in the upper harbour.
Will it cost too much?
• Cost estimations done so far show increased costing compared with just the bridge, however the available budget may well be sufficient to cope with the suggested extensions. (Some estimations have shown this).
• If there is an extra $5-$8 million required for the lock/bridge /weir concept, the longer term significant economic returns will justify initial extra expenditure.
Will it work?
• Yes, the concept will leave a feeling of full tide in the upper harbour and allow greater access between land and water. There will still be some tidal movement from neap to spring above the weir with ranges from .3 to 1.1m.
Will the consenting take too long?
• Where there is a will, there is a way. RMA processes can be streamlined if projects are given priority. Politicians at local, regional and national level have committed to working towards resolving our current recession and cutting through red tape. This project creates infrastructure that will generate significant long term opportunities and benefits for our region.
How will it affect the yacht/boats travelling to and from Whangarei Town Basin?
• Approx 2 hours either side of high tide the lock can remain opened, so in that time period the yachts will have the same issue as with the “conventional” bridge/draw bridge. Times outside these periods they will go through the lock which is not very complicated. There will also be a period around peak vehicle traffic hours when the bridge would need to remain closed.
Water quality?
• With the “gates” and the tidal movement over the weir, coupled with the “ability” to allow full natural tidal movement when required, therefore the water quality should not be adversely affected. Indeed when we embrace this concept and spend more time on and around the water in Whangarei we will be far more “vigilant” regarding the quality of the water.


Weir is set at 2.2m above “Chart Datum” which means that there will still be a tidal flow in and out of the harbour, however it will not drop below level of weir maintaining a full tide feel in the town basin.
The twice daily tidal flow will assist in retaining the water quality which can also be manipulated through the gate system, thereby ensuring good water quality.


Benefits of the Proposal
The Northland Chamber of Commerce believe the proposal are reinforces the principles of the WDC 20/20+ vision and acts as a catalyst to achieve many of the objectives and actions of that strategy.
At a recent Tourism Trust meeting we defined Whangarei’s “Unique point of Difference”.
In essence this is “our relationship with the water”. Whangarei is a nautical city, meeting place of mariners, early Maori with waka, early traders, the harbour, the marine industry, the beaches, off shore Islands, Poor Knights, over a hundred beaches, sailing, fishing, paddling, diving, skiing, in short all our draw cards are focused around the theme of water.

The lock/bridge system would built on this and be the catalyst for a facelift of the city: “The city where the tide has turned”.


The benefits of this proposal are wide and varied. The Chamber believes the proposed weir / lock option will generate the following positive outcomes.

Marketing of the Whangarei District
• Only place in NZ with lock/bridge concept
• Fantastic looking yacht harbour in city center
o The annual value of the international visiting yachts for Whangarei lies around$8 million per annum, improved and enhanced facilities will likely double this within a few years
• City with “canals” through center
• Strong people/water relationship/interaction
• Water themes throughout the city
• Attractive boulevards
Recreational opportunities
• Waka ama paddling
• General canoeing
• Dinghy sailing
• Rowing
• Model boat sailing
• Water recreation
Economic development
• Waterfront property development ( $100 Million in development over time)
o A mix of apartments, shops, café’s, art, hotels etc will significantly boost our economy
• Tourism growth
o With 4.3 million “visitors” driving to Whangarei, if we capture 10% and sell a coffee we increase turnover by $4 million, however if we have an attractive center with things to see and do, we may increase the daily expenditure to $100, giving a $40 million boost. An overnight experience sees an expenditure of $300, even if 5 % of the visitors decided on this it will add $60 million p/a, and this is year after year!
• Waterfront facilities
o Approx 4 k of waterfront with footpaths, cycle ways, jetties, wharfs etc will need to be designed and built
• Employment opportunities
o In tourism, retail, hotel/café, water sports etc
• Planning and design around water heart
o The creation of unique designed buildings, art work, people spaces etc
o Fitting in with vision 20/20
Maori development opportunities are significant
• Hihiaua cultural center
o A centre piece in the development surrounded by both the Hatea and Waiarohia rivers
• Waka trips
o With the higher tide level hourly trips to and from the town basin can be organized to fit in with other tourism product
• Carving/building school
• Voyage canoe history
o Most powerful display of navigation skills and traditional voyaging techniques


Walking/cycle ways development
• Around water heart
• Increase use of city environment
• Opportunities for community walks/events
• Ultimate living environment
Café/waterfront development (several $Million TO p/a)
• Entertainment hub
• Variety in options/choices
• Arts/crafts precinct
• Various sculptures around water center
Hotel
• A bustling center is an attractive option
• 4-5 star hotel will stack up from an economical point of view ($7 million plus p/a)
• Conference facilities
• Supported by variety of work/play options
• Buzzing center , aquatic heart, pumping place to be
• Only 1.5 hrs away from Auckland
Traffic
• Easing of traffic in inner city
• Easier access to Whangarei Heads etc
• Parking opportunities on Pohe Island when big events take place at Okara Park Stadium
Events
• Rowing races
• World championship Waka Ama
• Small boat sailing
• Dragon boat racing
• On water musical event
• Boat shows
• Annual pirate parades
• The economic value of these kind of events is significant (several million p/a)
• The marketing of Whangarei District will be greatly enhanced by this!
Celebrating a city with vision
• Inspiring place to be
• Great place to work
• Great place to invest
• Place to be proud of and going in a positive direction
All these benefits can be derived if we can overcome the challenges that come with doing something a little different. The key to the above has to be the lock/bridge concept. It is the catalyst that will enable a whole raft of opportunities. Without this we will remain a city without a point of difference.
Add up all the potential benefits, add up all the “risks”… can we afford not to take the next step?



Next week WDC will consider the various options before them based on the recommendations made by WDC engineers.

It is important to understand that the report has been very conservative in its approach regarding
• Construction costs
• Ecological and water quality issues
• Flooding effects
• Consenting and timing
• Sedimentation

Also the report has not addressed the economic, social and environmental benefits of the weir.
Regarding the economic benefits these are significant in particular regarding waterfront development, tourism opportunities, yachting facilities and numerous aquatic events that will both profile the city, deliver sustainable economic returns and will be lost if we do not go for the weir option.

If the extra cost was to be close to $8 million than this has to be balanced with the long term economic opportunity and these costs could be spread over 20 years and other avenues for raising this money are available.

The Whangarei District Council has shown vision and leadership in the past. They have been long been effective in procuring funds from Central Government for local infrastructure and should be applauded for this. Once again they have the chance to make a real and meaningful difference to Whangarei’s urban fabric. This proposal will be of great benefit either directly or indirectly to all rate payers and members of the community.

Here is a real opportunity to grow the Town Basin and to influence and inspire busness vitality in the Northland Region


Tony Collins