Rockets and birds, Kaitorete Spit

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Neil Fitzgerald
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Rockets and birds, Kaitorete Spit

Postby Neil Fitzgerald » Wed Jul 15, 2015 3:40 pm

I hear a resource consent application has been lodged by a company wanting to use Kaitorete to launch commercial rockets. I bet they'll look spectacular from across the lake, but what impact is the creation of New Zealand's own Cape Canaveral likely to have on the birds of this area? Can anyone comment on the position of the local ornithological and conservation groups?

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Re: Rockets and birds, Kaitorete Spit

Postby Davidthomas » Wed Jul 15, 2015 4:08 pm

I'm concerned that the economic benefits will be taken over the potential environmental problems that such a operation would create, especially considering how important that area is for waterfowl and some endangered plants/invertebrates. I have seen some emails going around from Jan regarding people putting forward their concerns so fingers crossed if it does go ahead it does so under some strict guidelines and with mitigation of potential risks.
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Re: Rockets and birds, Kaitorete Spit

Postby Jan » Thu Jul 16, 2015 9:57 am

If I knew how, I could attach a leaflet [they call it a 'fact-sheet'] that the Rocket Lab has sent to locals likely to be concerned about this proposal. It is anodyne in the extreme and downplays the potential affects on wildlife etc.
"The environmental impact is likely to be minor or less than minor". I understand this is establishment-speak for 'give me the consent asap and don't publicly notify the application'

I have asked Birds NZ members to write to the Christchurch City Council asking for it to have public notification so the pros and cons can be debated properly. We have all been sent the same reply, saying that no application has yet been made by Rocket Lab and our concerns will be filed. If you haven't yet written, please do write as the more concern they get, the more they will be pushed to override John Key and Co., for whom this appears to be a pet project, like the new flag maybe.

Now to the bird and plant and reptile ingredients in all this.
The site is 10k down from the spit-base, that's very close to a major Banded Dotterel breeding site. Migrant arctic waders also use this site, sometimes in large numbers, like 20 Pectoral Sandpipers, similar # of Sharpies, 100s of Godwits, other rare migrants -Greenshank, Sanderling, Gull-billed Tern.
There are a number of rare skinks, katipo spiders and insects, very endangered plant species and a lovely wild landscape.

Any accident at the Rocket site could be devastating to the vegetation and wildlife it supports. New roads and installations will encourage false katipo into the Katipo's safe habitat and viewing areas will attract hundreds more people down to this precious place.
You can see I'm putting together a submission here.
If the site were nearer Birdlings flat settlement it might not be so bad for the spit, but 10k down is far too encroaching.
Rocket Lab Launch Site.pdf
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Re: Rockets and birds, Kaitorete Spit

Postby Neil Fitzgerald » Thu Jul 16, 2015 2:33 pm

I have attached the fact sheet to Jan's post for her.
This article on Radio NZ says "Rocket Lab has applied for resource consents to build a site on Kaitōrete Spit in Canterbury". So hopefully CCC will now take the concerns back out from where they have been filed.
This is surely an issue for birders and conservationists nationally, if not internationally. Can we complain about shorebird habitat being destroyed along the flyway when we are wrecking it here too?

N
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Re: Rockets and birds, Kaitorete Spit

Postby Neil Fitzgerald » Mon Aug 03, 2015 3:10 pm

I noticed this a few days ago.

http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/top/28001 ... o-lift-off

The Canterbury Regional Council has granted consents to an Auckland-based rocket company which wants to build a launching facility on the coastline.

The consents were issued the day after Prime Minister John Key attended the announcement of Rocket Lab's plans at the proposed site on Canterbury's Kaitorete Spit, near the township of Birdlings Flat, earlier this month.
The council has given Rocket Lab permission to discharge stormwater into the land, discharge contaminants into the air and a permit to occupy the coastal marine area when launching rockets.
It said any environmental risks of the rocket launch facility would be minor.


I believe they still need resource consent.
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Re: Rockets and birds, Kaitorete Spit

Postby Paul Scofield » Mon Aug 03, 2015 3:43 pm

Well worth reading this (although clearly written from a NASA point of view):

https://archive.org/details/nasa_techdoc_19980235583

A few choice phrases:

"Acid rain and mist HCI droplets falls from the Shuttle ground cloud and causes foliar spotting on plants at KSC. Similar necrotic
lesions were produced on most species tested with HCI mist applied in glasshouse studies. Less injury occurred following evening exposure than morning or mid-day exposures. Acidity of the mist was more important then the length of exposure in determining the extent of the injuries. Leaves were the most likely part of the plant to be injured, with lower surfaces more sensitive to
damage than upper surfaces. Differences in sensitivity to acidic mist were revealed when different plant species were tested (Granett 1984)."

"There is a potential for acute impacts to fish and wildlife from noise, blast debris, heat, and toxic chemicals (primarily HCI) in the vicinity of the launch pads. Chronic impacts may result from subtle alterations in habitat and the potential for bioaccumulation of pollutants that may be released into the environment. A fish kill occurs after most Shuttle launches as a direct result of surface water
acidification, often exceeding 5 pH units. The fish kill occurs in direct relation to the spatial pattern of the near-field deposition footprint."

Don't get me wrong - I think this sort of project is great for NZ but why oh why does it have to be there of all places!

Hey "Auckland based company" do it in Auckland - no one would notice :)
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Re: Rockets and birds, Kaitorete Spit

Postby Neil Fitzgerald » Mon Aug 03, 2015 5:11 pm

Slap a couple of boosters on the sky tower and they'll be good to go.
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Re: Rockets and birds, Kaitorete Spit

Postby Amber Calman » Mon Aug 03, 2015 5:35 pm

Neil Fitzgerald wrote:Slap a couple of boosters on the sky tower and they'll be good to go.


Might look better in outer space.
(*)> Amber Calman, Age 15
/ ) Blog https://youngbirderdom.wordpress.com/
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Re: Rockets and birds, Kaitorete Spit

Postby Neil Fitzgerald » Tue Jun 14, 2016 10:36 pm

Just found this article from last November on the launch site being moved to Mahia Peninsula.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/ ... rth-island
Good news I guess (assuming the Mahia site doesn't have ecological values at risk), although "We're continuing to work through that process down there, but the Mahia site was an accelerated and simpler site to gain resource consent for" suggests you might want to keep an eye on it down there.
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Re: Rockets and birds, Kaitorete Spit

Postby Jan » Wed Jun 15, 2016 12:33 pm

The owner of the land at Kaitorete Spit down here, has said he doesn't want the rocket launching site on his land. One wonders if he ever did, really. I think that's the main reason why they have had to drop the proposal. They never did get a consent from the CCC and the furore against it makes it likely they never will, especially with local elections this year.

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