Fact Sheet
Key facts relating to the proposed Opotiki Harbour Development are:
- The Opotiki Harbour was used by coastal shipping vessels until the mid-1960s
- Since that time, shallowing of the channel over the bar at the Waioeka River mouth has seen access limited to vessels drawing less then 0.5 metres, with access generally unavailable 2 hours either side of low tide.
- Eastern Sea Farms Limited (majority-owned by the Whakatohea Maori Trust Board) has been granted a license for a 3,800-hectare mussel farm six kilometres off the coast from Opotiki.
- The planned mussel farm will be the largest aquaculture venture in New Zealand.
- For the mussel farm’s servicing and processing activities to be based in Opotiki, the channel into the Opotiki Harbour must be improved to provide reliable access for larger vessels (minimum draft of 2.5m).
- If Opotiki does become the service and processing base for the mussel farm, it could transform the District’s economy by:
- Creating more then 900 full-time jobs
- Adding more than $34 million a year to the District economy
- Substantially increasing average household income
- There is potential for further aquaculture development off the Opotiki coastline
- The Opotiki District is currently one of the most deprived areas in New Zealand, with close to 60% of the population falling within the “most deprived” category
- High unemployment, low household income and poor housing standards contribute to that situation
- The Opotiki District has been supported by key partners in the development of the Harbour Project. These include:
- The Ministry of Economic Development
- The Ministry of Social Development
- BayTrust
- Horizon Energy Distribution Limited
- Environment BoP
- A business case will be prepared which will seek New Zealand Government underwriting of the construction cost for the Opotiki Harbour Development.
