Sea Change

New research shows the Gulf is at a crossroads. Have your say into this phase of the Sea Change – Tai Timu Tai Pari work.

October 2014

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Sea Change

Have your say today

First things first: have you had your say through the current Sea Change – Tai Timu survey?

Survey submissions are collated weekly and fed back to the Roundtables to inform their work. (Read more here about the Roundtables and the work they are doing.)

Your feedback is a vital part of our work. Please take the opportunity to have your say into this phase of the Sea Change – Tai Timu Tai Pari process.

Click here to go to the survey

From Nick: the Gulf at a crossroads

On 29 September, the Hauraki Gulf Forum released the 2014 State of the Hauraki Gulf Environment report. Updated every three years, this report looks at key indicators of the health of the Gulf – everything from crayfish size to fish stocks, nitrogen loads, sediment, the impact of invasive species and sea bird health.

The 2014 report confirms what we knew from the 2011 report: simply, the Hauraki Gulf is in trouble.

This year’s report notes a significant – and in some cases widening – gap between current and desired states. But it also documents some positive progress towards addressing environmental impacts.

The report notes that Sea Change – Tai Timu Tai Pari is part of that positive progress, describing it as “a bold and innovative non-statutory process where Gulf stakeholders will prepare a Marine Spatial Plan for the Gulf based on high environmental standards and strong community and mana whenua engagement”.

For those of us working directly on the project, this report has been a timely reminder of the importance of the job we have undertaken. The work is complex and often challenging and I would like to take this opportunity to extend particular thanks to the members of the Stakeholder Working Group and the 80 or so Roundtable members, who are contributing many, many hours of focussed work to the Sea Change – Tai Timu Tai Pari process.

In this issue of our newsletter, we cover some key project updates, look at an opportunity to learn more about the State of the Environment report, overview some recent events we have attended and introduce you to two more members of our SWG – Raewyn Peart and Conall Buchanan.

Thank you again for your support and interest as we work towards safeguarding the Gulf as a healthy, productive and sustainable resource for all users. I’d particularly like to welcome those people who have signed up at recent events and are receiving this newsletter for the first time. It’s vital that everyone who values the Hauraki Gulf knows about this project, so thank you for joining us. Please encourage friends, family and colleagues to stay in the loop by signing up for these monthly updates.

Best wishes to all,
Nick Main
Independent Chair, Stakeholder Working Group.

State of the Gulf – learn more

Keen to learn more about the 2014 State of the Environment report released by the Hauraki Gulf Forum? Sign up for their 20 October seminar. Bookings have now opened on the Auckland Museum website: tickets are $30 plus booking fee.

In brief...

Come say hi!
The Sea Change – Tai Timu Tai Pari team will be at the Kowhai Festival in Warkworth this Saturday 11 October, then at the Hauraki Cultural Festival on 18 October. Come say hi – and bring your friends!

Survey results
Many of you completed the Hauraki Gulf Use and Values Survey back in March-April of this year. Interim results have already been used by the SWG and final detailed analysis of the responses is almost complete. We will report on the final results in the next issue of this newsletter.

Hauraki 100+: save the date!
Hauraki 100+ members are advised that our next forum gatherings – where we touch base on the direction of the project – will be held in Thames on Wednesday 19 November and Auckland on Thursday 20 November. Please save the date: invitations with more detail will be emailed soon.

Love our Gulf is back!
The Love our Gulf team is back for 2014. They will be at a range of events from now throughout the summer, finding out why you love the Hauraki Gulf and giving you another opportunity to have your say on Roundtable topics. Connect with Love our Gulf on Facebook to find out where they’ll be next.

We’re on Facebook too!
Join the Sea Change – Tai Timu Tai Pari Facebook community at https://www.facebook.com/SeaChangeNZ.

IRP report out now
The Sea Change – Tai Timu Tai Pari Independent Review Panel (IRP) has released the first of three reports it will provide over the course of the project. Read more here

Presentations and progress
You can track the SWG’s progress through meeting notes posted on the website. We also publish the presentations and supporting papers used to inform our work.

Boats, scallops and hearts galore!

“Would you like to show us your favourite place in the Gulf?” That was the cheerful question that started more than 1400 conversations at the Whitianga Scallop Festival and the Auckland on Water Boat Show.

The Sea Change – Tai Timu Tai Pari team attends events around the Gulf to give people a chance to connect with the project, ask questions and learn more. Our team had a lot of animated conversations at both the annual Scallop Festival and the Boat Show. The vast majority of people were incredibly positive about the Sea Change – Tai Timu Tai Pari process and happy to see the initiative under way. Plenty of people also challenged us on aspects of what we’re doing. But in every conversation, one thing was clear: everyone who uses the Gulf wants the best for its future. That’s what we’re all about, so we value every conversation and comment – positive, negative or ‘yet to be convinced’.

Our giant maps of the Hauraki Gulf were buried under heart stickers at each event. At the Boat Show, 1489 hearts were placed, with Waiheke Island coming out as the favourite place of Auckland boaties. At the Scallop Festival, 289 hearts were placed and – where else? – Whitianga was declared the firm favourite. Across the two events, another 615 people took the opportunity to become part of the Sea Change – Tai Timu Tai Pari community by signing up to this newsletter.

Thank you to all those who took the time to place a heart, talk with us, take away a brochure or factsheet, make a video comment and of course sign up to this newsletter. We’re delighted you’re in the loop and look forward to presenting you with further opportunities to have your say on Sea Change – Tai Timu Tai Pari in coming months.

Sam, Olivia, Fletcher, Lachlan and Josh showed us their favourite places – and shared their great ideas for the future of the Gulf – at the Auckland On Water Boat Show. Thanks guys!

Meeting the SWG: Raewyn and Conall

The 14 members of the Stakeholder Working Group – or SWG – are the core of the ‘outside in’ collaboration model that is the basis of the Sea Change – Tai Timu Tai Pari project. SWG members come from a wide range of backgrounds and bring with them a wealth of skills and experience. In each issue of this newsletter, we introduce you to two of the SWG members. This month, meet environmental policy specialist Raewyn Peart and farmer Conall Buchanan.

Raewyn Peart

Raewyn is the Policy Director for the Environmental Defence Society, heading up their environmental policy work. She initially trained as a lawyer, and for some years specialised in resource management and large urban development work.

For the past decade, Raewyn has focused on improving the management of New Zealand’s coasts and oceans, that part of the country she is most passionate about. To this end, Raewyn has written numerous publications, including a book on coastal development, Castles in the Sand, and most recently, a book on human interactions with dolphins, Dolphins of Aotearoa.

Raewyn grew up in Hamilton, but spent many of her childhood holidays at the family bach near Maraetai, and sailing on the Hauraki Gulf. She now considers Auckland to be home and spends time every summer exploring the Gulf.

Raewyn is a keen sailor, snorkeller and photographer.

Conall Buchanan

Conall lives and works on a dairy farm near Paeroa. He has spent a lot of time in, on, or near the waters of the greater Gulf. He has held representative positions at national level and has commercial experience both in New Zealand and off shore. He currently chairs a school Board of Trustees that has reached Green/Gold Enviroschool status. He is active in two local community trusts, one focusing on community support services and another focusing on economic development, profitability and growth.

Conall has a particular interest in impacts that the catchments may have on the Gulf. “Sea Change – Tai Timu Tai Pari provides an opportunity to engage in balanced discussion about the future of the Hauraki Gulf,” said Conall. “The Gulf catchment reaches up to Putaruru, so farmers need to be one of the groups who are a part of the process. We are equally concerned about preserving Hauraki Gulf as a national treasure and are putting our shoulder to the wheel.”

Connect with Sea Change – Tai Timu Tai Pari

Complete a survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/haveyoursayseachange

Email us: contact@seachange.org.nz

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Visit our website: www.seachange.org.nz

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