Dialogue: Spoilsport timesharers don't own the Mount

By ROSALEEN MACBRAYNE

It is not only prisons and casinos that New Zealanders don't want in their backyards.

At Mt Maunganui, some timeshare-accommodation owners have gone to court to stop an artificial surf reef being built on what they see as their front doorstep.

And further south along the magnificent stretch of beach, residents of a Papamoa subdivision are up in arms about plans for a jetski lane near them.

The latter may arouse some sympathy but, hey, whose ocean is this? If you choose to live in a popular resort, you must know you will have to share it.

People are drawn to the sea to swim, sunbathe, surf, dive, sail, fish and ski. It's no good trying to stem the tide in a watersports paradise.

For a few occasional holidaymakers, drawing income from their timeshare investment at beautiful Mt Maunganui, to try scuppering an initiative that could be worth millions of dollars to the local economy is a bit precious.

Sun Pacific Villas are not against construction of the $450,000 underwater sandbag reef. They just don't want it in front of their premises at the corner of Tay St and Marine Parade. After all, it could affect amenity values. It would bring in more "bleach boys" (and girls), with attendant noise, litter, vandalism and traffic congestion. And the safety of bathers is at stake.

Never mind that the spot has been heavily surfed since before the timeshare was built, and that there would be a limit on the number who can surf at one time on the 75m long by 50m wide sand-sausage reef.

Two years ago, the Mount was poised to get the world's first artificial surf reef as a millennium project. The technology was pioneered by staff at Waikato University's centre for excellence in coastal oceanography and marine geology and has since become a new, knowledge-based export industry.

While a small group of volunteers struggled to gain the financial support and consents for the modest Mt Maunganui project, Australia's Gold Coast was up and running with a bigger reef. Others are also in the pipeline overseas, while Wellington's Lyall Bay, New Plymouth, Opunake and Gisborne may yet beat the Mount if its reef remains bogged down in litigation or sinks altogether.

To the delight of the Mount Reef Trust - which is trying to keep costs down - the regional council, Environment BOP, last year granted a non-notified resource consent for the surf break. But at the 11th hour Sun Pacific Villas scuppered the planned construction start in May by seeking a judicial review, claiming the permit should be publicly notified. The matter is still awaiting a High Court hearing.

The siting of the reef 250m off the beach (350m from Pacific Villas) was defined after thorough research. To move it 200m south towards Omanu, as the timesharers want, would breach the consent terms and the whole process would have to begin again.

For the record, the structure will provide not only a world-class surfing wave but a fishing, diving, snorkelling and swimming attraction. Added advantages are that it will be a habitat for marine life, protect the beach by combating coastal denudation, and offer coastal marine research opportunities.

Like it or not, Mt Maunganui is a tourist mecca. Tens of thousands of people flock there to hit the beach, not to see bubbling mudpools or art deco buildings.

The district needs bowling greens, rugby grounds, playing fields, golf courses and tennis courts. So why not a surf reef?

The proximity of a growing city to beaches and surf is a major factor in attracting new residents and businesses, as well as tourists. The Tauranga District Council has recognised this in promising $150,000 toward the artificial surf reef, which would offer dynamic marketing opportunities, both nationally and internationally.

What mandate do objectors who are not even permanent residents have to interfere in the broader lifestyle of the Mount? Do none of them or their children surf? Maybe they should swap timeshares and holiday elsewhere.

Those are the breaks. If we give in to all the spoilsports, nothing will ever be built near anyone anywhere.