Mussel bed restoration to commence in New Zealand’s Hauraki Gulf

Waiheke, New Zealand-based community conservation group Protect our Gulf (POG) has secured funding from and agreed to collaborate with port operator Ports of Auckland (POAL) on mussel bed restoration projects within the Hauraki Gulf.

Following a three-year-long court battle, POAL recently came to an agreement with POG and subsequently received the consent required for POAL to dredge the Rangitoto Channel and dispose of dredged materials at the designated Cuvier disposal site.

POAL requires deepening of the Rangitoto Channel for safe passage of larger ships to the port.

In addition to the mussel bed restoration joint initiative, the agreement also ensures that POAL will support ongoing monitoring of the disposal site and look for opportunities to relocate as much of the dredged material as possible back within the dredge precinct rather than disposing it at the Cuvier disposal site.

As part of the agreement, POAL will provide funding on behalf of POG to the mussel bed restoration work being done in conjunction with Revive our Gulf (ROG). ROG’s mussel bed restoration project work is also in partnership with iwi/hapu and communities.