Dredging & Inshore Disposal

Like other tidal ports, Otago Harbour’s channel and basin require ongoing dredging to maintain desired depths.

Dredging has been carried out in the harbour since the 1860s, with disposal of dredged material "out to sea" occurring since at least 1882. Prior to 1985, all dredged material was placed at the Heyward Point site. The Aramoana disposal site was first used in 1985 and Shelly Beach in 1987.

Resource Consent details

Port Otago Limited was granted a 25-year consent for its inshore dredging disposal in June 2017.

The consent’s monitoring conditions include:

• Bathymetric surveys of the disposal sites
• Visual photographic records of surf conditions at Aramoana and Whareakeake
• Beach profile surveys along the north coast beaches
• Benthic monitoring of the Heyward Point and Aramoana disposal sites
• Rocky reef monitoring in vicinity of disposal sites, and
• Wave monitoring of the Heyward and Aramoana disposal grounds.

Resource Consent RM 16.179.01

Dredging Working Party

The Dredging Working Party was established in 2002 to evaluate monitoring of the disposal sites. Its functions are:

• Evaluate monitoring data and reports required by the conditions of consent.
• Make recommendations on management actions to ameliorate any identified adverse effects of disposal.

The Working Party has representatives from:

• Te Runanga Otakou
• Kati Huirapa Runanga ki Puketeraki
• Department of Conservation
• Otago Regional Council
• Surfbreak Protection Society
• South Coast Board Riders Association
• Aramoana Conservation Trust
• Port Otago Limited