Application 124771 - Ministry of Fisheries

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marine farm (which expires on 1 January 2025). The application relates to the one
hectare area identified on the Survey Plan in Appendix 1.
2.2 No other resource consents are required for this activity.
2.3 There is a functional need for this activity to be located within the coastal marine area.
2.4 The layout to be used includes 4 double backbones per hectare, which would be aligned
with the direction of the existing lines of the current consented area and orientated
parallel to tidal flows.
2.5 The buoys to be used to support the longlines will be between 200 – 300 litres in volume.
2.6 The anchors to be used are screw anchors buried to approximately 6m.
2.7 The longline structures to be used include:
backbone/mainline length 130 - 160m
dropper length 10m
backbone and mooring line rope type – 24 - 36mm polypropylene;
surface buoy separation – 2m to 10m (depending on stocking rate and size);
buoys will be orange at the corners of blocks and at the middle of the most seaward
and most landward lines; all other buoys will be black;
the proposed lighting is to mark corners B & F as shown on the plan in Appendix 1 and
described further below. Applications for these lights have been submitted to
Maritime New Zealand for approval.
oysters and scallops would be hung in cages or trays suspended from the back-bone
lines
spat catching would occur on spat role droppers.
2.8 No additional vessel movements would result from farming the proposed extended area
of the farm.
2.9 The applicant currently uses and would continue to use the landing facilities at the Sugar
Loaf. The use of the Sugar Loaf wharf is an authorised activity. The current resource
consent for the wharf does not limit the use of the wharf by way of restrictions on vessel
movements or tonnage crossing the facility. Additional use of the wharf associated with
this farm extension is therefore a consented activity.
2.10 It is considered that the quantity of product arising from the additional 1 hectare
extension would have a minimal impact on the current wharf operations. It is also
considered that the wharf infrastructure can address the cumulative impacts of other
proposed extensions in the area, anticipated by Waikato Regional Council to be a
maximum of 48 hectares (if all existing farms sought an extension). Reference is made to
the “Wharfing Infrastructure Discussion Document” prepared for the Haruaki
Development Group, 2010 & 2011, in support of this matter.
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