OPOTIKI NEWS / LOCAL DEMOCRACY REPORTING
Mussel boats cannot currently unload in Ōpōtiki – they have to go to Whakatāne instead.
How to accommodate both industrial mussel boats and recreational community use within the existing Ōpōtiki Wharf was discussed at a meeting of the Ōpōtiki District Council this week.
Group Planning and Regulations Manager, Gerard McCormack, presented a report on plans for the port and wharf, including an upgrade of the existing wharf to accommodate Open Oceans Whakatōhea Mussels boats.
Mussel boats currently have to use the Whakatāne wharf to offload their catch, a situation that appears likely to persist for some time as there have been delays in creating a planned commercial port for Ōpōtiki.
While the new harbor entrance is expected to be ready for use by commercial boats by the end of this year, it is expected to take two to five years to obtain approval for the commercial wharf. Permission to develop the resources is still being processed by the Bay of Plenty Regional Council.
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“Open Oceans has expressed interest in using the wharf for their mussel boat operations. This arrangement requires an upgrade to the wharf’s structure,” McCormack said.
His report also sought approval for the development of concept designs to accommodate community recreation near the wharf for public consultation. The council decided in December that there had been too little consultation with the public the Haven-Wharf Master Plan.
OPOTIKI NEWS / LOCAL DEMOCRACY REPORTING
The recreational use of the wharf will also have to be included in the plans of the municipality (file photo).
McCormack hoped to develop concepts at a council workshop next Monday. These concepts would be further developed and refined, and a strategy for public consultation developed, before being returned to the next public council meeting for approval. It would then go out for public consultation.
In his report, he noted that there is currently no budget allocated for this design and consulting work, which is expected to cost between $30,000 and $40,000. The council can budget for this in the next annual plan or it can be added from the existing quay upgrade budget and the master plan execution budget.
Council members voted in favor of both adapting the wharf for clam boat operations and developing concept designs for recreational use.