Earthworks carried out on the Waiaua Stream have left members of the Ōmarumutu community in the Eastern Bay of Plenty dismayed following the loss of a popular swimming hole.
Resident Grant Kelly expressed the impact of the changes, stating, “There is no public river beach access and no swimming hole anymore in the Waiaua Stream.”
Kelly has questioned the process used by the Bay of Plenty Regional Council, specifically regarding the lack of consultation with the hapū or the wider community. He noted that the river was a hub for various activities, used by paddleboarders, whitebaiters, flounder fishers and swimmers, including students from Ōmarumutu School.
Council Response and Regulatory Framework
Charles Harley, the council’s coastal catchments manager, clarified that the Waiaua River is not part of the council’s river management scheme. He stated that ongoing maintenance of the river is generally the responsibility of adjoining landowners.
According to Harley, the council was aware of the earthworks and had been liaising with local landowners before the activity began. The work did not require a resource consent because it met the permitted activity rules outlined in the regional council’s Natural Resources Plan.
These rules allow specific river management and maintenance activities to proceed without consent, provided they meet several environmental conditions, including:
- Management of sediment and debris
- Timing of works
- Protection of fish passage
- Erosion control
Harley explained that the Waiaua River is prone to changing channels during floods and has a highly mobile riverbed. “In these environments, targeted works can help reduce erosion loss,” he said.
While the project did not require public notification, Harley noted that the regional council engaged with Te Whakatōhea to discuss the planning framework, the background of the activity, and why the work was being proposed.
Conflicting Visions for River Management
The loss of the swimming hole has highlighted a disagreement over how to manage the waterway. Kelly argued that the earthworks contrast sharply with modern river management thinking, which suggests retreating further back, leaving the river alone, and planting native vegetation along the edges.
This approach to native planting has been previously practiced by the local hapū on the roadside of the river. Kelly believes the river has been neglected, noting the prevalence of invasive willows and regular flooding—a point the regional council agrees with regarding the flooding of adjoining farmland.
Potential Next Steps
In response to the current state of the waterway, Grant Kelly is in the process of trying to establish a care group for the Waiaua River valley. This effort could lead to the planting of native shrubs and trees along the river, which may serve as a strategy to manage the environment and address the prevalence of invasive species.
