John Shaw Photography

Them's the breaks

Matt is a former coastal consents specialist at Auckland Regional Council. He now works as a consents planner for major projects. He's also a keen surfer. Living on Auckland's North Shore, he knows as well as most people how badly Auckland has been treating its saline playground: "There are places in Auckland where sewage is piped straight to the sea. That goes back into the surfbreaks. Next thing you've got surfers getting sick. Any surfer worth their salt should be versed in "Policy 16: Surfbreaks of national significance". The full policy reads: "Protect the surfbreaks of national significance for surfing listed in Schedule 1, by ensuring that activities in the coastal environment do not adversely affect the surfbreaks; and avoiding adverse effects of other activities on access to, and use and enjoyment of the surfbreaks." Schedule 1 lists two surfbreaks in Northland, three near Raglan, two in Taranaki, three around Gisborne, the Whangamata Bar in Coromandel, two in Kaikoura and four in Otago. Nineteen surfbreaks across the country are specifically named by a Government policy statement as worth preserving, but none is in Auckland. Not even the world-famous breaks of Piha or Maori Bay. Whangamata in Coromandel is where New Zealand's surfbreak protection effort was born. Called the "jewel of the Pacific" by Hawaiian surf legend Gerry Lopez, its surfers believe the perfect tubes are being ruined by dredging for the Whangamata Marina, which opened last year. The protection society was founded during a 17-year legal battle that ultimately failed to halt the marina. Next up, the Surfbreak Protection Society is trying to get hard evidence that surfbreaks are under threat or deteriorating. Says Matt: "It's all still anecdotal. We haven't got enough checking processes in place to verify what many people believe is going on. Currently, we have a $100,000 application in with the Quicksilver Foundation to set up monitoring of 19 surfbreaks." Adds Matt: "It's not just for surfers. Surf lifesaving needs them for competitions, kiteboarders need breaks. Then there's passive observers, people who just like to sit and watch a good set of waves while eating fish and chips with the family."

More info:

www.doc.govt.nz/publications/conservation/marine-and-coastal/new-zealand-coastal-policy-statement/new-zealand-coastal-policy-statement-2010

Sophie Bond reports:

Bethells Beach/ Te Henga, 2-3ft with a 25-knot offshore easterly at mid-tide outgoing. Overcast but mild.