The Opotiki Harbour Development

Coastal shipping used the Opotiki Harbour until the mid 1960s.  Since the mid 1960s part of the harbour has been reclaimed.

It has been a long held aspiration of the Opotiki community to re-establish the town’s harbour.  The redevelopment of the harbour is a priority for the Council.  It is considered that the harbour will provide a platform for sustained economic growth in the district by. 

• Increasing the overall social, economic and cultural wellbeing of the Opotiki community and the Eastern Bay of Plenty.
• Enhancing recreation opportunities and public access to the coast
• Capitalising on opportunities arising from the proposed offshore Opotiki mussel farm
• Mitigating flooding on the Opotiki town and surrounding area
• Achieving a long-held community aspiration and a high priority Community Outcome

Employment opportunities associated with the development of a of a 4,750 hectare mussel farm venture off the coast of Opotiki, and further potential aquiculture developments will benefit from having all weather harbour access to processing and servicing facilities.

Council has been actively pursuing the harbour development and has  evaluated various options for the harbour entrance.   A double groyne system has been selected as a preferred option.   Engineers have been engaged to carry out detailed modelling of this system to further determine the coastal and river processes in relation to the groynes.

It is expected that consent approvals will take until 2009 and construction will occur between 2009 – 2012.