Pāpāmoa Beach Conservation | Bay of Plenty
Pāpāmoa Beach is an important recreational area for the local community and an important conservation area with its unique dunes and fragile coastal ecosystem. The Pāpāmoa sand dunes have faced erosion due to many environmental factors, and a lot of work has gone into restoring the dunes by dedicated community groups and organisations. The 'Generus Living Bay of Plenty Pāpāmoa Beach Conservation Project' was named finalist at the RVA Sustainability Awards in the Operator-led Sustainability Award category.
Pacific Coast Village is located directly adjacent to the Pāpāmoa Beach, with a 250m-long boardwalk providing residents with direct access to the beach. The boardwalk was installed by Pacific Coast Village Partnership and made available for the public use to appreciate both the rich Māori history of the area, as well as to protect the fragile coastal dune system.
Over the last two years the Pacific Coast and its sister village, Pacific Lakes have taken an active role in Pāpāmoa Beach conservation. The villages have established an annual programme providing the residents and team opportunities to participate and make a difference.
Residents are also actively involved with various other volunteer programmes. "It is a true community effort," says Anna Fale, Pacific Lakes Village Resident Liaison. Below provides an overview of the many different activities the villages have undertaken as part of the conservation programme.
Dune Planting Day
A new addition to the village conservation calendar this year was Dune Planting. This commenced on the International Day for Biological Diversity with over 20 residents and team members taking part. A total of 400 spinifex plants were planted by a dedicated group on the Pāpāmoa sand dunes. The planting was organised in collaboration with Coast Care.
Pacific Lakes Village resident Philip Surman shares his long-held passion for dune maintenance and restoration.
I attended the organised dune planting event due to a long-held passion for this soft engineering approach for dune maintenance and restoration. As back ground, we lived at Whangamata Beach from the 80s to 2001. The locals had tried all manner of structures to curb serious coastal erosion, but these trials only exacerbated the problem. In the early 90s a Coastal Scientist employed by Environment Waikato [EW] approached a group of us to form a Beach Care group with EW funding for the dune plants, providing we rallied a volunteer force to undertake quite extensive planting days. We were in fact, the pioneers for the future care groups formed at virtually all the Coromandel Coastal Settlements.
The outstanding success generated from this partnership with EW had quite incredible results, particularly in regard to the sand built up between storm events. So much so, that even the doubter brigade eventually melted away. This same Scientist then moved south into the Environment Bay of Plenty area achieving the same sort of outcomes.
Having lived in Pacific Lakes Village for the past three years, and a regular beach goer, I could see areas on our fore dune that needed attention. So, when the Dune Planting Day was proposed, I eagerly dusted off my “Red Bands” to join the other environmentally aware residents from our Village and the Pacific Coasters to do our bit.
The day itself was cool, grey and breezy, with rain cloud brewing up in the east. Only the hardy turned out to a well-organised day with Bay of Plenty Coast Care Team Leader showing us the ropes. There were light weight shovels, gloves, fertiliser pales, and of course a starting target of 150 Spinifex plants planted. Our group quickly got cracking, helped I’m sure by the incoming weather. In the end we planted at a rate of 10 plants per minute so in 40 minutes we had emptied the trailer of available plants and re-housed 400 of them into their new homes on the dune. All in all, a successful morning, all nicely capped off by the rain later in the day giving our planting effort the best possible start in life.
Beach Clean Event
The Beach Clean Event has been held two years in the row. This year well over 40 residents from Pacific Coast and Pacific Lakes Villages participated, and removed two large garden collection sacks of waste [approximately 100kg in total] from the beach.
"Initiatives like this make a significant difference and inspire residents and staff to make a positive impact," says Erika Rans, Pacific Coast Village Operations Manager and Sustainability Lead.
“It’s just a fabulous thing and this year we had a lot more attend than last year, " says Pacific Coast Village resident Sue Hatchwell.
"Our residents from the two villages are fit and have fun. They may have some hip and knee problems, but they get out and get involved. We (residents) are committed to looking after this stunning area of natural beauty, a place that we frequent daily. That’s why most of us are here at Pacific Coast Village. Because we have this fabulous boardwalk and beach right opposite and we all spend a lot of time there. I’m down there most sunny days, getting out and seeing the sea. It’s such a fabulous area and community."
"The history of the land also makes it special. So, we want to care for this now and into the future for everyone to enjoy, ” adds Sue.
New Zealand Dotterel Protection
Pāpāmoa dunes are also home to the New Zealand dotterel. With only 2,000 birds remaining, the NZ dotterel is rarer than the kiwi and under threat from extinction. Our Bay of Plenty villages have been actively volunteering in the protection efforts of the NZ dotterel, providing assistance to the Tauranga and Te Puke Forest & Bird volunteer programmes. The focus of this programme is to raise awareness of the dotterels plight and protect this endangered species.
Regular talks are held at both Pacific Coast and Pacific Lakes Villages. Some of the residents also volunteer by checking and refilling the bait stations that are placed in the dunes during the dotterels’ nesting period.
In addition, The Pacific Coast Village Residents Committee led a project to add further bench seating to the public boardwalk to enable residents and the broader community to more fully appreciate the Pāpāmoa beach as they learn more about the fragile dune ecosystem.
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