The Department of Conservation is satisfied any effects Milford Sound's new $6 million harbour have on the environment will be minimal.
On Monday, the Milford Sound Development Authority (MDA) was authorised by Environment Southland to rebuild the 22-year-old breakwater used by commercial and tourism companies in the sound.
Doc Te Anau community relations manager Beth Masser told the Otago Daily Times yesterday they were "ultimately satisfied" any environmental impact had been mitigated during the resource consent process managed through Environment Southland.
She said Doc had been consulted throughout the consent process as an "affected party" and it was "overall pleased" to see the harbour proposal going ahead.
"We are pleased to see tourism infrastructure maintained in Milford Sound.
"All of these things improve the area."
The new basin, to be built from rock on site and rocks from the Cleddau River, 2km away, would allow boats to moor in the freshwater basin rather than the nearby deep-water basin.
The project would involve moving the breakwater and dredging to enlarge the harbour, realigning wharves or replacing them with floating wharves and redecking and extending the visitor terminal.
Mrs Masser said environmental effects had included disturbance to the coastal area, the disposing of dredged material during construction and the visual impact on the freshwater shore.
She said effects had been mitigated during the consent process under the Resource Management Act and Doc was "satisfied the effects are minimal".
"It is not likely to cause any adverse effects on marine mammals."
The proposal underwent a public consent hearing about two years ago, and 18 months of Doc investigation.
The MDA also hired an environmental analyst from Hamilton to look at the environmental effects on the neighbouring estuary A beneficiary of the upgrade would be the commercial operators in the Milford Sound.
Real Journeys Dave Hawkey said the upgrade would be a step forward for his operation and others.
"As a tourism destination we need to keep reinvesting."
Real Journeys owns 49% of the MDA, for which Mr Hawkey acts as a director and which would benefit from the upgrade through "more maneuverability".
He said the harbour would address the safety concern of boats berthing against the rockface because they would now have more room to move.
There had been little to no opposition to the harbour upgrade and it would be a positive move for safety and tourism, he said.
"Investing in infrastructure is always a positive thing here."
Mr Hawkey said Real Journeys was not thinking of getting extra or bigger boats in the near future.
"At this stage it is a long way off."
The rock stockpiling for the man-made reef would begin in January and full construction would start in March at the end of the peak season.
The project was expected to be completed by August.
