Aramoana, one of NZ's best surf break beaches, under threat

Otago and New Zealand surfers are concerned plans to expand dredging could threaten the Aramoana Spit, one of the country’s best surf break beaches.



Port Otago has applied to the Otago Regional Council for resource consent to continue to dump dredging spoils in large volumes at the Aramoana Spit which could significantly affect surfing, says a national Surf Protection Society spokesperson, Nic Reeves of Dunedin.



The port wants to dredge and widen the lower harbour channel, the swinging area and Port Chalmers berths, to allow the passage of larger ships to Port Chalmers.



About 30 years ago a resource consent application to build an aluminium smelter at Aramoana, could have destroyed the surf break there, along with the majority of the Otago Harbour, possibly destroying abundant wildlife and the albatross colony.



``I was part of the original Save Aramoana campaign as a teenager selling passports to the 'Independent State of Aramoana' to motorists entering the area,’’ Reeves said today.



Environmentalists were successful in stopping the smelter being built. Three years ago Reeves and other Otago surfers became part of a public consultative group with Port Otago as they planned to expand dredging operations to deepen the shipping channel to Port Chalmers.



Otago has many world class surf breaks and Aramoana Spit is among the best, with certainly the best beach break, Reeves said. Aramoana has some of the best tubes in the country and alongside, Matakana Island and Wainui it sits as one of the country’s best beach breaks.



``More dumping of dredging spoil is worrying Otago surfers and beach users – even though past dumping has improved the quality of waves at times. We are hoping more submissions to the ORC will be filed in a bid to make sure dumping is monitored to sustain the area. We want the port to dump the spoil well out to sea instead.’’



``We just want to ensure that Port Otago launches a solid wave monitoring programme before and during the next generation dredging project, to ensure the delicate conditions that create such a world class surfing wave are preserved,’’ Reeves said.



The Surfbreak Protection Society is a national body of surfers which seeks to ensure regional councils are informed about the country’s surf areas.



Thousands of surfers from all over NZ head to Aramoana every year. Large businesses including Otago University use the drawcard of surfing in Dunedin. National and South Island surfing championships have been held there.