Friday, June 02, 2006
Resource Consents Team
Wellington City Council
P. O. Box 2199
Wellington
Resource Consents Team
Greater Wellington Regional Council
P O Box 11646
Wellington
Submission on the Application for Resource Consent by Wellington Marine
Conservation Trust to Develop a Wellington Marine Education Centre/
Aquarium of New Zealand at Te Raekaihau Point
The New Zealand Marine Sciences Society (NZMSS) is a scientific society affiliated
to the Royal Society of New Zealand. It comprises over 250 scientists, managers and
policy makers, and students working in all aspects of marine science in New Zealand
and overseas. Society members work for universities, CRIs, and other research
providers, as well as for various central and local government departments, agencies
and NGOs. Our members, therefore, have a wide range of views and experiences on
most issues confronting the management of New Zealand’s marine environment. Our
elected Council has the task of providing comments on marine science issues in the
public realm, including government policy and marine conservation. This submission
represents a consensus view of the NZMSS Council concerning the scientific merits
of the proposals from the Wellington Marine Conservation Trust (WMCT) to develop
a marine education centre and aquarium on the Wellington south coast.
The New Zealand Marine Sciences Society strongly supports the aims of the
Wellington Marine Conservation Trust (a non-profit organization) to use public
education to protect and enhance the region’s coastal and marine environments. These
aims sit comfortably alongside the goal of this Society (which is also non-profit) to
“foster an understanding and appreciation of our marine environment (and) to provide
a means of communication within our marine science community”. The education
centre/aquarium development that is proposed by WMTC will also assist in achieving
a further goal of NZMSS, namely “to encourage and assist marine science students
and young scientists’.
In its Resource Consent application WMTC has provided cogent argument as to the
benefits of combining a marine education centre and aquarium, and to the siting of
such a facility in close proximity to the coastal environment that it aims to elucidate
and protect. The main point at issue between those favouring and those opposing the
proposed development is the choice of Te Raekaihau Point as the site for the
education centre/aquarium, with much of the argument focusing on the “pristine” or
“long abused” nature of the existing environment, and the degree to which the natural
character of this part of the Wellington south coast might be “permanently altered” or
afforded “long-term protection and sustainable use”. The present coastal marine
environment at Te Raekaihau Point is almost certainly not pristine with a near absence
of natural coastal vegetation, reduced seabird populations, few top marine mammal
predators and much reduced fish stocks. This Society is pleased to see that both those
in favour of the education centre/aquarium and those opposed to it see the need for
restoration and enhancement of the terrestrial ecology of Te Raekaihau Point.
The New Zealand Marine Sciences Society is sure that the knowledge and expertise
exists within the marine science community in New Zealand, and around the world, to
enable such a development as is proposed by Wellington Marine Conservation Trust,
including the necessary seawater intake and discharge facilities, the buildings and the
accompanying infrastructure, to be achieved sympathetically and with due
consideration to the environmental well-being of the site.
Major aquaria and education facilities occur all around the world. Most of them are
sited on the foreshore, and they appear to exist compatibly with their environment.
There seems to be no reason why the Te Raekaihau development should not be able to
exist likewise. Two of New Zealand’s renowned marine awareness and education
facilities, namely Kelly Tarlton’s Antarctic Encounter and Underwater World and the
Portobello Marine Laboratory and Aquarium, are both situated on the foreshore for
logistical reasons related to efficiently operating a seawater reticulation system.
NZMSS is convinced that increased awareness and improved access to our coastline,
and to its abundance and diversity, are essential parts of educating the population that
changes in societal attitudes are vital for the long-term sustainability of our marine
environment. This Society expects the proposed education centre/aquarium to help to
achieve those attitudinal changes.
The New Zealand Marine Sciences Society supports the development of a Marine
Education Centre/Aquarium in Wellington.
Approved by the NZMSS Council on 2nd June 2006
Yours sincerely,
Bob Hickman
President 2004-2006
New Zealand Marine Sciences Society
c/o NIWA
Private Bag 14-901
Kilbirnie
WELLINGTON