Opotiki Harbour works: Proposed harbour entrance structures assessment of landscape, natural character and visual effects Technical Report
- Year
- 2008
- Publisher / Organisation
- Boffa Miskell
- Pages
- 35
- Summary
- Boffa Miskell has been requested by Opotiki District Council to form part of the technical ‘expert’ team providing input to the design and review of engineering proposals for the proposed Opotiki Harbour Entrance Works project. As part of this team our project brief includes preparation of the landscape, natural character and visual effects assessment report to accompany the resource consent application. Other technical expertise enlisted for the project include ecologists - Wildlands (Willie Shaw and Maggie Bayfield) for terrestrial and avifauna and Brian Coffey (fresh / saline water ecology), coastal process specialist Jim Dahm, archaeology (Ken Phillips) and planning, Harrison Grierson (Andrew Collins). Preliminary engineering design and associated modelling and technical studies have been undertaken by DHI Water and Environment Ltd (DHI) (Auckland) with sub-consultant Duffill Watts Consulting Group. Boffa Miskell has been involved with this technical team in so far as undertaking preliminary identification of potential key landscape, natural character and visual issues related to works of the nature proposed and opportunities for avoidance (of some potential effects) as well as mitigation and enhancement associated with the works. This report provides an assessment of landscape, natural character and visual effects in relation to the three preferred design options for the ‘harbour entrance training works’ proposed to improve the capacity and safety of access to and from Opotiki by sea. The options address different potential construction methods and types of structures, each with the same location, extent and alignment. The report is based on engineering reports provided by DHI; being ‘Opotiki Harbour Access Modelling and Preliminary Design, Stage 2 – Draft Final Report Vol 1: Main Modelling Report’ dated 8 November 2007; ‘Opotiki Harbour Access Modelling and Preliminary Design, Preliminary Construction Assessment’ dated November 2007; and Opotiki Harbour Access Modelling and Preliminary Design, Volume 3: Preliminary Design and Construction Assessment dated June 2008. In addition a detailed site visit was undertaken by the author on 10 and 11 January 2008 following a preliminary visit with the wider project team in 2007. During this latter visit the river mouth and wider coastal and landward context was viewed from the beach, dunes and from on the river, including passing through the bar and travelling several hundred metres out from the coast to gain an understanding of the seaward view. On water as well as land based, field reconnaissance was also undertaken at the time of the preliminary site visit in 2007.