180 submissions on Whangamata mangroves plan

Waikato Regional Council has received 180 submissions on its application to carry out 31.5 hectares of new mangrove removal at Whangamata and a further 6.5 hectares of “clean up” work on previously cleared areas.

The application, lodged by the council’s catchment services group, is being processed by the resource use group of the council.

Of the 180 submissions, eight opposed the consent being granted, while the rest wanted the work to go ahead as proposed.

About 140 of the submissions in favour were made on a form circulated by the Whangamata Ratepayers Association, while the rest in favour were from interested organisations and individuals.

The mangrove consent project manager Emily O’Donnell said: “I’m very pleased with the response and the considered nature of many of the submissions from those both for and against the consent being granted. I’d like to thank the community for making its views known.”

Hearings on the submissions are set down for the week commencing 17 October.