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Taranaki’s coast and its resources are of great cultural, recreational and economic value.
The 300 km of coastline is exposed to the west - with high energy wave and wind conditions. It features rocky shores and sandy beaches, a marine protected area, subtidal reefs, river mouths and estuaries. There are few areas of sheltered water beyond the estuaries and almost the entire coastline is subject to varying rates of erosion from waves and wind.
Today there are only four major community or industrial discharges of treated wastewater to coastal waters in Taranaki. In 1975 there were 25 major discharges.
The main influences on coastal water quality are from rivers discharging to the sea. They may contain urban stormwater, sediment, agricultural run-off or industrial wastes and the effects are most noticeable after heavy rain.
The Taranaki Regional Council monitors water quality at recreational beaches during the bathing season and results show that marine bathing water quality in Taranaki is generally safe for contact recreation and compares well with other regions.
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