Surf Break Co-Management: Options for the protection and enhancement of surf breaks in New Zealand

Abstract

The inclusion of surf breaks in the New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement (2010) establishes New Zealand as a potential world leader in surf break protection. The approach is highly dependent upon local authorities being required to give effect to these new policy directives. Providing for these policies requires a multi-faceted approach that includes surf break identification, mapping, monitoring, policy provision, integrated management approaches and evaluation. This presents significant challenges, especially given that most local authorities lack specific surfing expertise. Surf break users have extensive knowledge of local surf breaks and an inherent interest in the preservation of surfing resources, representing a potential aid to local authorities in providing for surf breaks. Surf break policy implementation arguably serves to benefit from the involvement of surf break users in management responses and decision-making processes. This thesis involved a case study of the Auckland and Otago regions to explore surf break user values, the purpose of surf break management and the suitability of surf break co-management within New Zealand’s resource management framework. The study involved an online survey of surf break users and interviews with key stakeholders in the management of surf breaks. A key theme that emerged throughout the research was the desire for surf break management to reflect the needs and vision of local surfing communities. The study identified providing for the general protection of a range of surf breaks and increasing recognition of the value of surf breaks as key outcomes for the management of surf breaks. Results showed that surf break users primarily value factors relating to wave quality and elements of naturalness, with values reflecting local issues. Findings highlighted the importance of scale in addressing surf breaks. Results suggest that management approaches designed to protect surf break values need to consider local issues and local surf break user values. For surf breaks the most appropriate scale of approach is most likely to be at a local-scale in order to produce tangible management outcomes and further engage surfing community involvement. Local-scale co-management programmes underpinned by a supporting policy framework of surf break identification, policy provision and monitoring represents a potentially beneficial option for surf break management in New Zealand. Co-management could enable local authorities to bridge potential funding and knowledge gaps, allow for surf break users to take ownership of surfing resources and serve to strengthen the consideration of surf breaks in formal decision-making processes.