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Description
The Waikato Region holds some of New Zealand’s most varied and interesting seascapes. Our seascapes also contain some of New Zealand’s most important coastal and marine habitats and have been the inspiration to artists, writers and musicians. This Study aims to address the seascapes of the Waikato Region by identifying, mapping and listing their respective values, and to put forward candidates for Outstanding Natural features and Outstanding Natural Landscapes in the Coastal Marine Areas. The Study will also describe likely pressures and threats to values in the CMA, at a high level.
The preparation of this study has involved the following key tasks; (1) develop a seascape characterisation and evaluation methodology, (2) desktop review of information to define study area, identify and describe the attributes, to identify preliminary Seascape Character Areas and interpret their character, and (3) landscape Evaluation – Analyse the seascape values and identify and map candidate outstanding natural features and landscapes (ONFLs).
In addition to the requirements contained in section 6 of the RMA, the Waikato Regional Policy Statement (WRPS) contains objectives and policies that outline how landscapes shall be recognised and provided for. Specifically, the following objectives and policies are relevant.
Objective 3.20 Outstanding Natural Features and Landscapes:
‘The values of outstanding natural features and landscapes are identified and protected from inappropriate subdivision, use and development’.
For the purposes of the Seascape study polices 1 and 15 on the NZ Coastal Policy statement area also relevant, as they identify the extent of the coastal environment and the evaluation of its landscape values.
The focus of this regional scale study area is the Coastal Marine Area (CMA). This includes the marine and intertidal parts of the entire 800 km of the Waikato coastline between Mean High Water Springs (MHWS) and out to 12 nautical miles offshore encompassing the extent of territorial waters.
Assessing Seascape character is a relatively new concept to New Zealand, so any methodology will need to draw on the considerable experience gained from evaluating coastal landscapes over the past 20 years as well as on case law. This study has also taken into account widely used principles set out in Te Tangi a Te Manu, the draft NZILA Assessment Guidelines (2021).
Credits
Boffa Miskell report: Waikato Regional Seascape Study within the CMA – Working Draft: Subject to Iwi Engagement Prepared for Waikato Regional Council. 27 July 2022.
Waikato Regional Council engaged Boffa Miskell Limited to undertake an outstanding seascape assessment within the mapped coastal environment of the Waikato regions east and west coasts. This study was to be undertaken in light of the NZCPS and the Waikato Regional Policy Statement. A key goal of the updated Boffa Miskell Seascape Study is to ensure that identified Outstanding Natural Features and Landscapes ONF and ONL are identified and mapped. A detailed methodology for the characterisation and evaluation stages, as well as the mapping, is provided within Section 3 of the report.
BECA for aligning the Seascape and Natural character data layer to the coastal marine area line, which was a modified MHWS line.
This data was updated for Waikato Regional Council on the 31 March 2023.
Seascapes and Outstanding Natural Features and Landscapes layer update May 2024.
The outstanding natural features and landscapes (Seascapes) map layers in the notified version of the proposed regional coastal plan were found to extend slightly landward of the indicative coastal marine area (CMA) boundary line in a number of small and discrete locations around the coastline of the region, beyond the jurisdictional boundary of the proposed plan.
These have been addressed through a single GIS assessment of the coastline, to inform a clause 16(2) process, prior to the hearings.