1,000 signatures reached
To: Ministry for the Environment, MPI, DOC, NRC, FNDC, MBIE, The NZ Government
Protect Waipiro Bay: Say NO to the Fast-Tracked 250-Berth Marina
We request that the Ministry of Environment should decline Application FTA229 – Waipiro Marina, a 250-berth marina development proposed under the Fast-Track Approvals Act 2024.
Submitted on 3 May 2024, the application to build a 250-berth marina is deeply flawed. It fails key legal, environmental, and cultural requirements under both the Fast-Track Act and the Resource Management Act (RMA). It ignores matters critical to our united community, our vulnerable environment, and our way of life.
The economic report inflates demand and misrepresents data. There are currently 46 berths available across Northland, including 20 at nearby Opua Marina (just a 49–56-minute drive from Waipiro Bay). Many of these berths remain vacant or discounted due to low demand—a regional trend the proposal fails to address.
Furthermore, Waipiro Bay already have 62 moorings and neighbouring Parekura Bay has an additional 69 moorings, which have been developed gradually over time reducing an abrupt visual impact on residents and the landscape.
A 250-berth marina would nearly triple the current number of boats—an increase of approximately 190% raising the total from 131 to 381 vessels across the inlet. This would result in a sudden and dramatic change in both visual impact and boat density.
A 250-berth marina would nearly triple the current number of boats—an increase of approximately 190% raising the total from 131 to 381 vessels across the inlet. This would result in a sudden and dramatic change in both visual impact and boat density.
The application also bypasses public consultation, denying our community a say in the future of this coastal taonga.
It also disregards Māori rights and interests protected under Section 7 of the Fast-Track Act, including Treaty settlements and recognised customary rights. It also fails Section 22 criteria, which require clear, significant, national or regional benefit and support for primary industries—despite the proposed site being within an aquaculture exclusion zone that undermines existing marine businesses.
We call for this proposal to be declined under the Fast-Track process and referred instead to the standard Northland Regional Council consent pathway, where public scrutiny and community participation are guaranteed.
Ultimately, this development should be stopped. A project of this scale—with serious cultural, ecological, and social impacts—requires transparent, evidence-based decision-making.
The proposed marina would cause irreversible damage:
- Destroying areas of cultural harvest significance
- Eliminating native wildlife habitat, including that of high-risk species
- Altering the ecological and visual landscape of Waipiro Bay
- Privatising 9 hectares of public marine space
- Extinguishing customary food-gathering areas
Shockingly, the application lacks basic environmental assessments, including:
- An Ecological Survey
- A Hydrology Survey
- A Cultural Impact Assessment
- A robust Assessment of Environmental Effects (AEE)
- Robust community input and engagement
Waipiro Bay is not just water—it is our taonga, a source of identity, sustenance, and intergenerational connection. We cannot protect our culture, pataka kai, and wildlife without proper evidence and an inclusive process.
This development must return to the proper consent pathway, so the voices of the Bay of Islands are heard.
Let’s stand together to protect our waters, kai sources, wildlife, and future.
Sign the petition to stop this harmful development and safeguard Waipiro Bay for generations to come.
What is the proposal?
A local family with a commercial arm has proposed to build a 250+ berth marina. This marina is intended to service a wide range of vessel sizes. The proposal claims that the marina will benefit the public by:
What is the proposal?
A local family with a commercial arm has proposed to build a 250+ berth marina. This marina is intended to service a wide range of vessel sizes. The proposal claims that the marina will benefit the public by:
- Reducing traffic at Te Uenga Boat Ramp
- Providing potential key utilities (note – these are already available at the Opua marina);
- Providing retail services.
In summary, the proposal appears to provide mere convenience for a small portion of the community and does not provide a significant benefit at a regional or national level.
What is required to approve Fast Track?
Under the Fast-Track Approvals Act, the following considerations are made when determining whether to approve fast track of a consent application:
- the project is an infrastructure or development project that would have significant regional or national benefits; and
- referring the project to the fast-track approvals process –
- would facilitate the project by enabling it to be processed in a timely and cost-effective manner; and
- is unlikely to materially affect the efficient operation of the fast-track approvals process.
In considering whether to refer the application to the fast-track approvals process, the relevant Minister must consider the following:
- Whether the project would be inconsistent with a Treaty settlement or a joint management agreement;
- whether it would be better dealt with under other legislation;
- whether the project has significant adverse effects on the environment;
- whether the project area includes land that is considered necessary for a Treaty settlement process.
Why is this important?
Because Waipiro Bay is more than just a piece of coastline—it’s part of who we are.
Here’s why it matters:
- Waipiro Bay is a taonga, home to rich marine life, cultural traditions, and a close-knit community.
- The Eastern Bay of Islands have been kept free of large-scale commercial development to preserve its scenic beauty and natural value. Maintaining its natural integrity is the best long-term economic and ecological value to the public.
- The proposed marina would privatise public water, destroy customary food-gathering areas, and alter the bay forever.
- The application bypasses due process, silencing local voices, ignoring Māori rights, and skipping essential environmental protections.
- We have the evidence: demand for marina berths is low, and this project offers no proven regional or national benefit.
- The sharp rise in boat density will further strain the already over-saturated Eastern Bay of Islands.
- The economic benefits will go solely to the developers, with no meaningful revenue such as rates going to Council or the public. Instead, the marina will increase infrastructure costs, adding pressure to already limited Council resources.