Artificial Mt Maunganui surf reef could be ready early

TAURANGA - Surfers could be riding waves from this country's first artificial surf reef at Mount Maunganui by October -- two months earlier than expected thanks to a construction breakthrough.

Faced with a cost blow-out, world leading artificial surf reef designer Dr Kerry Black worked out a way to hold the budget at $1 million.

Instead of deploying the 70 geotextile bags used in the reef one at a time to a mat anchored to the seabed, he designed a system in which the empty bags are attached to a web lattice on land and then the whole assembly pulled to the sea floor.

This left the bags to be pumped full of sand and the rugby field-sized reef created in three weeks -- or even less, weather permitting.

Mount Reef Trust executive officer David Neilson said they were close to signing off on the new methodology and a major announcement was expected soon that could see the reef in place by mid-October.

It is the second technological innovation in the six-year-old project for the reef planned for 240m off the beach.

Last year Dr Black, the managing director of Hamilton-based firm ASR, changed the basic design of his reefs so they were shaped like a delta wing instead of a rectangle.

The new shape produced left and right breaking waves, allowing 50 surfers at a time on waves that offered rides of up to 70m -- 20m longer than permitted by the old design.

In another breakthrough, the Bay of Plenty Sustainable Business Network is supporting the project which is still $200,000 short of raising the $1 million needed.

Network regional manager Calum Revfem said the reef was an innovative example of sustainable development, with economic benefits between 20 and 70 times the $1 million investment.

Dr Black calculated that for every dollar pumped into surf events, $15 was returned to the community. Surfing NZ has said it will hold more events at the Mount once the reef is in use. Opunake is also planning an artificial surf reef.

- BAY OF PLENTY TIMES