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Tāmaki Makaurau – Auckland Conservation Board’s outgoing Chair, Lyn Mayes, states it opposes the application on several levels, namely the threat further extraction will have on shorebirds and marine mammals in the area, uncertainty relating to the sedimentary process and consequences of climate change; and, the direct and indirect effects on biological processes, such as widespread disturbance to subtidal benthic habitats. The Board also states that it does not believe the applicant has adequately addressed the potential for alternative sources of sand.

“The shoreline in the extraction area is an important nesting area for native shorebirds, including variable oystercatcher, but of greater significance is the New Zealand fairy tern (tara iti) which is our rarest breeding bird.