West Coast Marine and Coastal Localities:
a Detailed Description of 14 Segments

5.7 Greymouth
(Darkies Terrace – Waimea Creek, 29 km)

5.6.1 Summary
The Greymouth segment mostly comprises a coastal plain backed by marine terraces and broad river flats. Two large rivers and numerous smaller ones flow out to sea in this segment. The seabed is mostly of a uniform shelf grading out to fine sediments, with mostly coarse-grained mixed sand and gravel or cobble beaches and no evidence of rocky reefs. The area supports marine life that is typical of such habitats in the central West Coast. Access to the coastal and marine area is made for a variety of uses and at numerous points along the coast. This segment is one of the more densely populated parts of the West Coast. Residential development and farming are predominant uses of the coastal plains and terraces.

Notable features of the Greymouth segment include its high resident population, accessibility from Greymouth and State Highway 6, uses related to the Grey River/Mawheranui port, several river mouth wetlands, coastal landscapes, cultural and historic heritage and recreational uses.

Existing protection includes small areas of conservation lands associated with coastal forest remnants and wetlands. There are also several specified areas under the Regional Coastal Plan, and the Taramakau River is a Statutory Acknowledgement area under the Ngai Tahu Claims Settlement Act.

5.6.2 Natural Features
The coastal sand plain of this segment has been modified by drainage and land development. Remaining natural features include: coastal wetlands and terrace slopes, river mouths, a variety of sand and gravel beaches and a broad continental shelf.

Coastal Land and Islands
Coastal land has been modified by residential, industrial, farming and other land development on the coastal flats but some small forest remnants remain The Greymouth segment contains the southern recorded natural limits on the West Coast for at least eight coastal plant species, such as taupata147 and ngaio; the Blaketown coast supports one of the West Coast’s most extensive areas of taupata. Areas of coastal forest remain at the Kowhai Bush walk, the New River/Kaimata lagoon area, and the Taramakau Scenic Reserve.

This coastal segment is subject to the effects of coastal erosion and other physical shoreline changes due to the construction of the Grey River/Mawheranui mouth training works in 1884. These have had a significant effect on coastal dynamics, causing the Blaketown coast to aggrade (build out) by up to 500 metres, while the Cobden beach has eroded by up to 100 metres.148 Movements of river and creek mouths have also affected coastal land especially at New River/Kaimata, Taramakau River and Kapitea Creek.

Cobden's 'North Beach', towards
Point Elizabeth
Photo: T Hume, NIWA 		Kapitea Creek Lagoon
Photo: T Hume, NIWA

Coastal Wetlands and Waterways
The largest waterways in the Greymouth segment are the Grey/Mawheranui and Taramakau Rivers, with estimated annual suspended sediment discharges of 2.1 and 2.2 million tonnes respectively149.

The Grey/ Mawheranui River has one of the largest catchments of any West Coast river (3830 km2), large parts of which (particularly the valley floor) have been deforested through historic goldmining or for agriculture. In its tidal reaches, the river is restricted to a single major channel by both the natural rock structure of the Rapahoe Range and river training works. The Grey/Mawheranui River mouth includes two main wetland areas, the Cobden Lagoon on the north bank and Blaketown Lagoon-Erua Moana on the south bank. The coastal marine area boundary across the Grey/Mawheranui River is positioned at the downstream bank of the Blaketown Lagoon outlet.

The lower Taramakau is a high volume river which leaves the broad coastal and outwash plain through a river channel with shingle spits, limited tidal sand flats, and a changeable outlet. Morse150 considered the Taramakau River mouth to be a wetland of moderate wildlife value, providing breeding areas for gulls and terns.

Cobden Lagoon is a semi-tidal area draining out to the Grey/Mawheranui River. It is adversely affected by adjoining land development, drainage and weed infestation but it retains some value as a habitat for wetland birds and fish. A short distance to the north but unconnected to Cobden Lagoon and outside the coastal marine area, is the freshwater pond area of the Lake Ryan Wildlife Refuge Reserve.

Blaketown Lagoon-Erua Moana is a tidal flat wetland that has been modified by adjoining land development and drainage works, but retains areas of natural habitat and vegetation. The lagoon is surrounded by a high floodbank, which protects both coastal assets and the lagoon from further land development and incremental encroachment. This lagoon has the largest tidal mudflats between Okari Lagoon and Saltwater Lagoon (Poerua). Studies in 1974 indicated that control structures and embankments (which have since been extended even more) have reduced the salinity and tidal flows into the mouth of Blaketown Lagoon, turning it from a brackish tidal ecosystem into a predominantly freshwater one151.

Camerons settlement
Photo: T Hume, NIWA 		Paroa settlement
Photo: T Hume, NIWA

The New/Kaimata River – Saltwater Creek lagoon is one of the largest coastal lagoon systems between Okari Lagoon and Totara Lagoon. It supports wetland and riparian vegetation, as well as a variety of coastal fish and birdlife, and was considered by Morse152 to be a wetland of high wildlife value. The coastal ponding in nearby Paroa Lagoon is a landform of geological interest153.

New River/Kaimata, Kapitea Creek and Waimea Creek are part of a network of similar wetlands extending along the central West Coast: these are brackish ‘hapua’ wetlands that are significantly affected by the natural mobility of their mouths154. Waimea Creek is the outlet to the sea for the Awatuna Cultural Reserve, for which migratory fish (such as freshwater eels tuna) are a management consideration.

Seashore and Marine Areas
The only natural rock bed in this segment is a moraine boulder bed that occurs at spring low tide level near the mouth of Serpentine Creek. It supports mussels and other rocky shore species but it is sometimes smothered by beach sediments.

Beaches between Cobden and Karoro are primarily composed of cobbles and gravel, with a sand bed extending out below the low tide level.
Further south the beaches change to more of a sand-gravel mix of sediments.

Offshore, the seabed slopes gradually out across the inner shelf towards the Challenger Plateau at a gradient of less than two degrees within the territorial limit, reaching a depth of about 150 metres at the territorial limit. The coarse sediments of the beaches grade offshore to finer silts and mud.

Blaketown beach, mining opertaion and
suburban housing, with Blaketown
Lagoon behind
Photo: T Hume, NIWA 		Central Greymouth , Blaketown and the Grey/Mawheranui River mouth
Photo: T Hume, NIWA

Coastal and Marine Wildlife
Speckled skinks occur in relatively high abundance at Cobden beach155 where the scrub and driftwood-covered cobble surface provides an ideal habitat.

Boat surveys from 1995 to 1997 recorded Hector’s dolphins in high densities in this area relative to other parts of the West Coast that were surveyed156.

Blue penguins nest in parts of this segment, with documented evidence of their occurrence especially between Paroa and Taramakau157. Wading birds utilise tidal flats and wetland margins especially at Cobden Lagoon, Blaketown Lagoon, New River Lagoon, Taramakau River mouth and Kapitea Creek mouth. Black backed gulls nest on the Kapitea Creek beach158 and inland from Karoro159.

Marine Fish and Other Species
When it is not smothered by beach sediments the moraine boulder bed at the Serpentine Creek mouth supports mussels and other rocky shore species, but no formal survey has been done of this site.

Whitebait species are a significant feature of the waterways in this segment, with large numbers migrating up the Grey/Mawheranui, Taramakau and other rivers.

This coastal region, as does the whole west coast of the South Island, supports a rich diversity of fish and invertebrate species that are fished both commercially and recreationally by a number of fishing methods including trawl, longlining, trolling, potting and set netting.

Inshore trawl fisheries are multi-species and are primarily based on flatfish (several species), red gurnard, red cod, giant stargazer, tarakihi and blue warehou. Other species taken as bycatch include arrow squid, dark ghost shark, ling, barracouta, jack mackerel, spiny dogfish, rig, school shark, sea perch, rough skate and smooth skate160.

5.6.3 Historical and Archaeological Heritage
Physical evidence of pre-European sites is scarce (as are European sites), probably due to coastal instability. Traditionally there was Maori occupation around the Grey/Mawheranui) and Taramakau estuaries161 and the Taramakau has a significant place in Maori history162.

The town of Greymouth developed as a port town during the West Coast goldrush period in the 1860s, and retains a history based on exploration, minerals, fishing, shipping, farming, forestry, conservation and tourism.

The coastline south of Point Elizabeth. towards Greymouth
Photo: T Hume, NIWA 		Greymouth Harbour, Blaketown and the Grey/Mawheranui River mouth area
Photo: D Neale, DOC

5.6.4 Recreation and Tourism
The proximity of Greymouth’s population has led to the development of numerous coastal recreation facilities and uses in this segment. Particular sites where there are facilities, walkways or structures suited to recreation include (from north to south):

Fishing occurs in numerous places and by various methods:

Boating is most commonly undertaken at sea (motorboats out of the Grey/Mawheranui River), in the Grey and Taramakau Rivers (mostly jetboating) and in the New River lagoon (stillwater kayaking). Several commercial boat operators run fishing, sightseeing and marine mammal tourism charters out of the Greymouth port.

Tourist accommodation places with coastal outlooks include King’s Hotel, Greymouth Seaside Top 10 Holiday Park, and Kapitea Ridge Lodge. Numerous other accommodation places are located close to the coast.

Cobden Island and surrounding areas
Photo: D Neale, DOC 		Blaketown and Greymouth
Photo: D Neale, DOC

5.6.5 Commercial Use
The Port of Greymouth in the Grey/Mawheranui River is the West Coast’s second largest shipping port, supporting a fishing fleet and a barging and shipping facility used for transporting bulk products like coal and gravel aggregate. Fish processors, transport companies, railway operations and other industries are closely linked to the port operations. Most of the port’s infrastructure lies upstream of the coastal marine area. Dredging is undertaken periodically in the fishing vessel berthage area in Erua Moana, a side basin away from the main river flow, and a slipway that can accommodate all but the largest vessels in the port163.

This segment – as for most of the inshore West Coast – is fished by commercial fishers using a variety of methods, the most common being bottom trawl164. Vessels in this area mostly operate out of Greymouth, but also Westport and Nelson. In 2000, about 50 inshore fishing vessels were domiciled in Greymouth, made up of some 38 trawlers, seven line boats and two set netters165. Vessels from further afield are sometimes based in Greymouth, such as tuna trollers and trawlers throughout the year.

Farming is a feature of the coastal flats, especially in the areas north of Cobden township, the Camerons area, and south of the Taramakau River.

Commercial/ industrial activity occurs in numerous places but especially in central Greymouth, which supports a variety of businesses in the retailing, service and light industrial sectors. The adjacent port area is important to commercial and recreational operators in the fisheries, transport and manufacturing industries. The South Beach area is home to several businesses mostly related to construction and manufacturing industries.

There are Resource Management Act coastal permits issued in this segment166 for:

Gravel extraction occurs on the Blaketown to South Beach coast, in the Taramakau River mouth area and upstream in the Grey/Mawheranui River bed.167
The Greymouth Aerodrome is located on the coastal strip south of Blaketown, providing facilities for both commercial and private operators.

Chesterfield and Kapitea Creek
Photo: D Neale, DOC

5.6.6 Other Public Uses and Facilities
Public access can be gained to any part of the coastline from a series of roads and tracks leading to the beach, and the only significant impediments to access along the coast are from the larger streams and rivers. State Highway 6 bridges cross many waterways within or close to the coastal marine area.

Residential areas occur along most of this segment, including the greater Greymouth area (Cobden, central Greymouth, Blaketown, Karoro and South Beach), Paroa, Camerons, Kumara Junction, Chesterfield and a number of other localities and single residences.

Untreated sewage and stormwater are discharged directly to water in the lower Grey/Mawheranui River and Blaketown Lagoon. Sewage ponds at Karoro discharge to sea through a subterranean pipe and soakage system. An area at Cobden on the north bank of the Grey/Mawheranui River was the district’s main refuse station prior to about 2000 and still retains much of the waste deposited there.

The mouths of several waterways are controlled for the purpose of flood and erosion management (both with and without resource consent authority), including New River/Kaimata, Saltwater Creek and Kapitea Creek/Acre Creek, mostly by excavation and reopening of blocked mouths and channels.

There is a scout camp on the south bank of the Taramakau River mouth.

Beach at Karora
Photo: D Neale, DOC 		New River Lagoon
Photo: D Neale, DOC

5.6.7 Existing Protection and Management Areas
Small areas of conservation land protect coastal forest remnants and wetlands. The largest protected aquatic/ wetland areas are the bed of the Taramakau River (which is also a Statutory Acknowledgement area under the Ngai Tahu Claims Settlement Act) and parts of the New River (within the Paroa Wildlife Management Reserve). Coastal forests within conservation land include the Rapahoe Range Scenic Reserve above Point Elizabeth and Cobden, the Kowhai Bush Recreation Reserve at Blaketown and the Taramakau Scenic Reserve on the river’s lower south bank.

Raupo on New River lagoon
Photo: D Neale, DOC

Other small reserves in the area include the Karoro Recreation Reserve and the Greymouth Aerodrome Reserve.

Whitebaiting is not permitted in non-tidal areas nor upstream of ‘back pegs’ on the Grey/Mawheranui, New/Kaimata and Taramakau Rivers and Serpentine and Waimea Creeks168.

Paroa
Photo: D Neale, DOC 		South Beach
Photo: D Neale, DOC

The Greymouth Flood Protection Scheme includes a series of stopbanks and other measures that provide security for the town against river flooding by the Grey/Mawheranui River and tributaries.

The Greymouth Harbour limits (mostly designated for controlling navigation and shipping infrastructure matters under the Maritime Transport and Harbours Acts) extend in a two mile radius from the Grey River tipheads.

The Greymouth segment lies within Fisheries Statistical Area FSA 34, which is part of the Challenger Fishery Management Area (FMA 7). The adjoining land area is within the Grey District north of Taramakau River and Westland District south of there.

The operative West Coast Regional Coastal Plan recognises:

Taramakau River mouth, with Serpentine
Creek on the right
Photo: D Neale, DOC 		Sand and gravel beach near Chesterfield
Photo: D Neale, DOC

147 Overmars et al unpublished DOC data
148 Pfahlert 1984
149 Hicks & Shankar 2003
150 Morse 1980
151 Knox 1974
152 Morse 1980
153 Hayward & Kenny 1999
154 Neale 2006a
155 Whitaker 2002
156 Brager & Schneider 1998
157 Blyth et al 2006, Hughes 2005
158 S. Hall pers comm 2006
159 R. Barber pers comm 2006
160 Stevenson & Hanchet 2000
161 Hooker 1990
162 Ngai Tahu Settlement Act 1998


163 Stevens 2000
164 Booth et al 2005
165 Stevens 2000
166 www.wcrc.govt.nz “Maps on the Web”, June 2006
167 Benn 2004
168 Whitebait Fishing (West Coast) Regulations 1994

Greymouth MapHabitats & Ecosystems People & UseAnimals & Plants Existing Protection & Management Plans Submission Form