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| From Nick: starting the run to the finish... |
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In less than five months, the Sea Change – Tai Timu Tai Pari Stakeholder Working Group (SWG) will have completed the Hauraki Gulf Marine Spatial Plan.
The handover of the Hauraki Gulf Marine Spatial plan on 30 June 2015 will signal the end of the 18-month collaborative, stakeholder-led development process. This makes the next five months a very exciting – and vital – time in our work.
The SWG has been working at pace. On 2-3 February, the SWG met in Whitianga with members of all seven Roundtables, to hear presentations on each Roundtable’s report back after months of investigation and analysis. You can read more on the handover and the presentations given by the Roundtables below.
Sincere thanks
I’d like to once again extend my thanks to all the members of the Roundtables, who came from a variety of sector and community backgrounds. All of you have shown a willingness to make your expertise available to Sea Change – Tai Timu Tai Pari and have done an outstanding job in supporting the work of the SWG. Your time, efforts and commitment are very much appreciated.
I’d also like to thank all those people (you may be one of them!) who added their voices to the Sea Change – Tai Timu Tai Pari project by completing our summer survey. Key results from the six surveys were presented to the SWG at the Whitianga meeting, alongside the Roundtable findings. Taken together, these various reports give the SWG further insight into the issues and challenges facing the magnificent space of the Hauraki Gulf/Tikapa Moana.
The next phase
With the Roundtable and survey material now in the hands of the SWG, we have largely drawn a line under the ‘information-gathering’ phases of our work. From now on, our focus turns to writing the plan – and to developing long-term solutions which will see the Hauraki Gulf vibrant with life and healthy mauri, increasingly productive and supporting healthy and prosperous communities.
Best wishes to all,
Nick Main, Independent Chair, Stakeholder Working Group. |
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| Join us for Seaweek! |
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As part of Seaweek 2015, Sea Change – Tai Timu Tai Pari will be hosting a panel debate at Auckland’s AUT City Campus Conference Centre next Wednesday, 4 March.
At the debate, six invited panellists will discuss what they see as the key issues facing the Hauraki Gulf, with commentary from Sea Change – Tai Timu Tai Pari Independent Stakeholder Working Group Chairman Nick Main and some light-hearted support from ‘NZ Comedienne of the Decade’ Michele A’Court. Read all about it here.
The evening will also feature the presentation of the 2015 Ocean Champions Award.
Tickets are free but seats are limited so please book today.
What is Seaweek?
Seaweek is an annual, national environmental education event that celebrates and explores our connection with and dependence on the sea, and raises awareness about our impacts on it. The aim is to change behaviours and attitudes towards our care of our marine environment.
This year’s Seaweek theme is: ‘Look beneath the surface – Papatai o roto papatai o raro’.
To find other Seaweek events in your area, check out www.seaweek.org.nz.
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| Summer survey results |
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‘Our Gulf, Our Future, Your Voice’ was the message posted around the Gulf across the summer of 2014-2015. The wider public was invited to add their voice to the work of the Roundtables through six summer surveys – and 1602 respondents took the opportunity to do just that.
Designed to coincide with the busy holiday season in the Gulf, the Sea Change – Tai Timu Tai Pari survey round ran between 15 December 2014 and 26 January 2015. The six survey strands were matched to the Roundtable topics and based around the priority issues each Roundtable had identified.
Of the 1602 survey responses that came in, 85% of respondents lived in the Auckland area and 10% in the Waikato region – and a few from the South Island and Australia chipped in responses too!
Results were independently analysed, with the full survey report presented to the SWG on 2-3 February, alongside the Roundtable presentations as part of the ‘voices of the Gulf’.
View the reports. Our website has a page with links to to both a results summary and the full survey report.
What you told us
“Let’s educate people to value our Gulf and its waters; let’s build up our fish stocks, protect critical marine habitats and build a ‘blue highway’ network in the Hauraki Gulf/Tikapa Moana.”
Sounds simple – but it took 183 pages of detailed analysis to get to that sentence! Analysis of survey results was comprehensive and both a full survey report and a summary presentation are available on the Sea Change – Tai Timu Tai Pari website. These two documents present the full survey results in context and the range and depth of responses make for very interesting reading.
Understanding people’s thoughts on the ‘action issues’ facing the Gulf is particularly important as the Stakeholder Working Group moves into the phase of developing solutions and writing the Hauraki Gulf Marine Spatial Plan. The surveys revealed support for the following.
- Increasing fish stocks by addressing sediment issues.
- Protection of critical marine habitats.
- Future construction of an improved water transport network as part of a ‘Blue Highway’ linking communities and enabling the economy.
- Increased education to improve the quality of water following into the Gulf.
- Locating marine farms away from ecologically significant areas.
- Educating people to value the Gulf more.
Thanks again to all those who took the time to complete a survey. Your input and insight is greatly appreciated and is of great value.
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| In the news: complete NZ Herald series |
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From 15-19 December, the New Zealand Herald ran a five-day series on Sea Change – Tai Timu Pari.
The series was very well received and we were delighted to see the issues facing the Hauraki Gulf/Tikapa Moana getting such comprehensive coverage.
If you missed the original issues, you can view the stories on our website.
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In partnership with mana whenua and the following agencies:
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