Ōhiwa Harbour is situated in the eastern Bay of Plenty. The harbour itself is separated from the Pacific Ocean by a 6km-long sand spit (Ōhope Spit) on the western side of the harbour entrance, and a much smaller spit of approximately 900m (Ōhiwa Spit) to the east.
The harbour covers an area of approximately 26.4 km2, and is relatively shallow, exposing 80 percent of its bed at low tide. However, the main channels provide adequate depth for fishing and recreation.
The Ōhiwa Harbour Catchment drains approximately 171 km2 of small valleys, with the largest being the Nukuhou River Valley, draining 60 percent of the harbour catchment. The catchment generally faces north and has a diversity of land uses, ranging from protection and production forestry, through dry stock and dairy farming, to horticulture and lifestyle blocks. There are 12 small streams and one small river (Nukuhou River) feeding into the harbour from the inland hills towards Matahī, and in the Nukuhou Valley.
Catchment management
Catchment management involves ensuring that land use does not adversely affect the harbour and that the biodiversity and natural qualities are protected.
The health of the Ōhiwa Harbour relies on the health of the estuary, which in turn relies on land management practices within the catchment.
Biodiversity in the harbour is highly valued, particularly the birdlife, native freshwater fish and harbour margin vegetation and habitat.
Some of key challenges for catchment management:
- Sedimentation, nutrients and general pollutants from land use threaten the health of the harbour.
- Biodiversity in the harbour is important and needs further protection and restoration.
- Development and use of the Ōhiwa Harbour is not managed appropriately, having adversely impacts on the harbour.
Harbour management
The health and ongoing availability of kaimoana in the harbour is of utmost importance to the community, particularly tangata whenua. If the rest of the harbour is healthy and managed appropriately, kaimoana will thrive and this resource needs to be protected to ensure its ongoing availability.
Some of key challenges for harbour management:
- Kaimoana in the Ōhiwa Harbour is threatened by overfishing, inappropriate gathering methods, starfish predation and changes in the harbour environment, particularly sedimentation. This has led to the disappearance of some species and is threatening those species that remain.
- Much more needs to be done to raise awareness of the issues, protect the resource and to police the rules and regulations around fishing and shellfish gathering.
- Ongoing research is necessary to understand the threats to the resource and this should take more of a bicultural focus.
People and communities
The harbour is highly valued for the many recreational opportunities it provides, and there are perhaps more that can be developed, but care must be taken to minimise any conflict or imbalance between various uses and with other harbour values.
There is considerable appetite in the community to be more informed about, and involved with, the science and mātauranga Māori that underpins the protection of the harbour and to be more informed about the human history and natural history of the harbour and its catchment.
Some of key challenges for people and communities in the catchment:
- There is a desire to utilise kaitiakitanga to assist in achieving sustainable management of Ōhiwa Harbour. This includes an acknowledgement of the non-human kaitiaki (taniwha) already in the harbour
- Increasing numbers of residents and visitors put pressure on the existing facilities such as jetties, boat ramps, rubbish bins and toilets. These facilities could be improved and other recreational opportunities provided, but in a way that minimises conflict with other values.
- More information, education and support is needed to improve harbour protection and management. This includes making science accessible to all.
- More effort needs to be made to involve all sectors of the community (particularly tourism, urban and farming) in looking after the harbour.
- There are opportunities to promote and support many community groups and initiatives. These include education, research, and work opportunities.
In 2008, Regional Council developed the Ōhiwa Harbour Strategy (OHS), a guiding document, in partnership with the Ōpōtiki and Whakatāne District Councils, Department of Conservation, Whakatohea, Upokorehe, Ngāti Awa and Tūhoe.
The Ōhiwa Harbour Strategy Coordination Group (OHSCG) is made up of representatives from the above organisations. Together they plan and manage mahi that works towards an agreed objective: To maintain and enhance the health and natural qualities of Ōhiwa Harbour.
Below is a summary of action points outlined in the strategy aims, which reflect the challenges identified by the community. For full details, please refer to the Ōhiwa Harbour Strategy.
Catchment management
- Monitor and assess the health of Ōhiwa Harbour and its catchment.
- Investigate improving water quality in the catchment.
- Reduce sedimentation and contamination within the catchment.
- Encourage the introduction and use of farm stewardship plans.
- Protect and enhance wetlands, saltmarshes and estuarine margins and explore opportunities to construct new areas.
- Protect and manage habitat and species.
- Investigate the presence of indigenous freshwater fish species and habitats and identify opportunities to manage.
- Investigate the potential impacts of climate change on the Ōhiwa Harbour.
- Support appropriate regional, district and iwi plan provisions to achieve sustainable management of the Ōhiwa Harbour and catchment.
- Develop data sets to augment resource management protocols.
- Support and implement consenting, bylaw and statutory responsibilities.
Harbour management
- Investigate shellfish populations and advocate for sustainable shellfish management.
- Investigate wetfish populations and advocate for sustainable fisheries management.
- Support māhinga mātaitai status for Ōhiwa Harbour.
People and communities
- Recognise and apply the principles of kaitiakitanga and stewardship in management of the harbour.
- Retain the Onekawa Te Mawhai Regional Park and manage according to the park management plan.
- Develop a coordinated approach to public reserves and implement management.
- Support the implementation of regulations for controlling vehicles on tidal flats and beaches.
- Support appropriate harbour and catchment research opportunities.
- Support the work of landowners and community groups.
- Support the involvement of local people in education initiatives and in the management of the Ōhiwa Harbour and its catchment.
- Advocate for health and safety within the harbour and its catchment.
Our land management officers work with landowners, iwi, community groups and organisations to support and encourage better land use practices around the rohe.
We may be able to provide funding to help landowners complete works that can improve water quality, as well as land and business productivity.
Improving land management practices is key to ensuring land is being used more productively and sustainably, creating good environmental, economic and social outcomes for all.
Find out more
Please contact us if you have question or would like to find out how you can get involved:
Tim Senior, Bay of Plenty Regional Council Land Management Officer
tim.senior@boprc.govt.nz
Ph: 0800 884 880
References:
Ōhiwa Harbour Strategy Te Rautaki mō Ōhiwa - Refreshed 2014 (boprc.govt.nz)
Special interest project: Ōhiwa Harbour Fish Passage
Learn about what we’re doing to understand and support indigenous fish species to thrive in and around the harbour!
We’re identifying what barriers there are in streams and rivers that may be hindering fish migration. Using environmental DNA (eDNA) testing we can pinpoint where and what these indigenous species are. With the help of landowners (at no cost) we’ll use this data to fix any barriers found. Read more in the infographic (click on the image to see a larger version):
News and updates
Project to support Ōhiwa Harbour’s waterways reveals at-risk indigenous fish species
A project to improve connectivity between the waterways around the Ōhiwa Harbour, and increase freshwater fish populations has uncovered the presence of threatened and at-risk indigenous species.
Kiwi management
The Whakatāne Kiwi Project is enormously successful.
Since 1999, when four breeding pairs were found by the Department of Conservation in the Ohope reserves, more than 300 North Island brown kiwi chicks have been raised in or released to local reserves.
2021-12-01 - Kiwi management
The Whakatāne Kiwi Project is enormously successful.
Since 1999, when four breeding pairs were found by the Department of Conservation in the Ohope reserves, more than 300 North Island brown kiwi chicks have been raised in or released to local reserves.
Whakatāne is the only place in New Zealand where kiwi live in such numbers so close to an urban area.
The Project aims to ensure that kiwi thrive and prosper in the Whakatāne district by restoring kiwi populations through public support and landowner co-operation. The Project manages kiwi in the Whakatāne area under a memorandum of understanding between Department of Conservation (DOC) and the Bay of Plenty Regional Council. The Project works on joint DOC, Ngāti Awa and Whakatāne District Council administered land (Ōhope Scenic Reserve, Moutohorā Island, Mokorua Scenic Reserve and Kōhi Point Scenic Reserve), private forestry land (Waiōtahe), Māori Trust land (Wainui, Omataroa) and other private land (Wainui).
There have been many contributors to the success of the Project. One of the most significant contributions is the 'hands on' management undertaken by current project manager, Bridget Palmer, her predecessors and hundreds of volunteers. The group works to control predators, like possums, rodents, mustelids and cats, and monitor kiwi in the core protection areas of the Whakatāne and Ōhope reserves.
Another contributor to the Project's success is the unique partnership supporting it. This partnership involves Ngāti Awa, Bay of Plenty Regional Council, Department of Conservation and Whakatāne District Council. The Whakatāne Kiwi Trust oversees the project and carries out fundraising, corporate sponsorship, volunteer and education programmes.
Project field staff and volunteers have found, through tracking the kiwi using telemetry equipment, that many of the birds are migrating south from Whakatāne and Ōhope as far as Stanley Road and sometimes beyond toward Taneatua. The team work closely with landowners, foresters and residents in these areas, so that kiwi are afforded greater protection in their travels. Long term, the Project hopes to bring more landowners on board and extend predator control activities to their land, so that kiwi and other native wildlife have safe havens all around Ōhiwa.
Upokorehe get 'hands on' with mangroves
The Upokorehe hapū gained resource consent in 2011 to remove outlying mangrove plants and seedlings from the Ōhiwa Harbour.
Upokorehe spokesperson Maui Manuel said: "The work can be challenging in the heat and soft mud, so our team would work very hard for several hours, and then have a great social time and barbeque".
2021-11-01 - Upokorehe get 'hands on' with mangroves
The Upokorehe hapū gained resource consent in 2011 to remove outlying mangrove plants and seedlings from the Ōhiwa Harbour.
Upokorehe spokesperson Maui Manuel said: "The work can be challenging in the heat and soft mud, so our team would work very hard for several hours, and then have a great social time and barbeque".
Upokorehe is the only group in the Ōhiwa Harbour to have a resource consent (a permit from Council) to remove mangroves. Through 'hands on' experience, the group is now expert in how best to do this work. An important feature of the mangrove removal project is recognition of the value of mangrove habitat (particularly for the rare banded rail bird), so not all mangroves can be removed. Instead, there are defined areas where removal is desirable. The muddy mangrove habitat is generally less rich in desirable bird and shellfish species than the sandy substrate areas of the Harbour.
Considerable research was carried out into the ecology and spread of the mangroves. In recent years, mangrove populations have increased enormously and scientists agree that if left unchecked, mangroves could potentially cover a large proportion of the harbour. Click here for more information about the sediment and mangrove plan.
Mangrove removal will help fine mud particles flush out of the Harbour, leaving coarser material. This provides a better home for the native worms and invertebrates that wading birds and fish live on, and for pipi and cockles. Photo points were established at each removal site. These photos, taken before and after each working bee, provide a visual record of changes over time.
The project is an example of iwi exercising their kaitiakitanga of the Harbour by leading action that benefits the Harbour.
Removing mangroves outside the conditions of the resource consent is not allowed. However, if you are keen to help out with this work, please contact Tim Senior at the Bay of Plenty Regional Council at 0800 884 881, ext 6010.
Ngāti Awa Farm land-use change
In recent years, extreme rainfall events have taken their toll on Ngāti Awa Farm, located on the fringes of the Whakatāne and Ōhope urban areas, and the Ōhiwa Harbour.
2021-10-01 - Ngāti Awa Farm land-use change
In recent years, extreme rainfall events have taken their toll on Ngāti Awa Farm, located on the fringes of the Whakatāne and Ōhope urban areas, and the Ōhiwa Harbour.
Frequent heavy downpours have caused significant erosion on the farm's steep slopes and in the streams, causing economic, environmental and operational problems for its owner, Ngāti Awa Group Holdings.
Council land management staff began farm assessment and planning work for Ngāti Awa Farm in 2009. Farm managers have used the information and recommendations to drive land-use change and management decisions. Examples of land use changes on the farm include conversion of pastoral land to tree production, steep pastoral land to indigenous forest and swampy pasture to wetland.
Ray Thompson, environmental manager for Ngāti Awa at the time, said the iwi is very pleased with the project.
"This has not only allowed for diversification of this land parcel owned by Ngāti Awa, but it has also enabled us to use our lands in a more sustainable way," said Mr Thompson.
