World Junior Champs, Piha, January 2011

Here’s a message from Matt McNeil in the coastal team at Auckland Council. He wants some help in compiling the Auckland region’s best surfbreaks for protection in the Auckland Unitary Plan – this is the mega-plan replacement for all 7 district plans, the Regional Policy Statement and the Coastal Plan. Nationally important surfbreaks are now protected in the New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement, and this is a chance to get our most valued regional surf breaks protected. The first draft of the Unitary Plan is due out for consultation at the end of this year.

“I’m currently undertaking work around Auckland surf breaks to feed into the Auckland Unitary Plan (statutory document which will combine the previous Auckland district plans and regional plans). This is likely to result in specific policy around protection of regionally significant surf breaks, and spatial identification of these.  As background evidence gathering, I’m running a survey to obtain some statistics on where people surf in Auckland, and reasons they surf where they do.

The survey only takes around 5 minutes to complete, and I need as many responses as I can get. So please fill it out, and forward onto anyone and everyone you know that surfs in Auckland & cares about the future of our surf breaks. 

Survey link 

http://engage.ubiquity.co.nz/surveys/0wkJzyNaR0ebOgjOookQlg

P.s. this will not lead to exposure of any lesser surfed/semi secret breaks, the breaks listed are well known by the Auckland surfing population. The survey will remain open for approximately 6 weeks, and you may see it advertised on surf.co, swellmap, and aucklandsurf over the next month. 

Much appreciate you valuable knowledge! 

Cheers, Matt”

Matthew McNeil | Air, Land, Water & Coast Unit – Coastal Specialist

Environmental Strategy and Policy Department

Chief Planning Office

Auckland Council 

Ph DDI + 64 9 484 6205 |

Level 3, 1 The Strand, Takapuna | Auckland

Visit our website: www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz