stephen August 8th, 2011
STEPS has held meetings with Auckland City Mayor Len Brown this year. The Mayor has taken a close interest in Watercare plans for a Central Interceptor. STEPS and Watercare advised the Mayor that this project is a means of reducing the ongoing flooding of Meola Creek, with resultant benefits for Waitemata Harbour and Te Tokaroa / Meola Reef.
The
Letter from the Mayor indicates that Watercare has now revised the project dates so the dates are now four years earlier. STEPS is delighted by this news and thanks Mayor Brown and Watercare Services. STEPS will continue to support this project.
stephen July 10th, 2011
STEPS held its 2011 AGM on 30 June. A lively discussion was held with a panel including:
- David Bowden Auckland Council
- Matt Davis, Auckland Council
- Mike Sheffield Watercare Services
- Melissa Marler
- Nick Goldwater.
Click here for a summary of the AGM and click here for a pictorial summary of activities 2010-2011, with slides showing the creek and surrounding areas as they appeared in this calendar year.
Tags: boardwalk, Meola Creek, Nick Goldwater, STEPS
stephen July 10th, 2011
STEPS hosted a walk through the new plantings with Mayor Len Brown on Saturday 11th June.
The Mayor displayed a keen interest in both the fundamental sewerage and stormwater issues underlying many of the problems of the upper Meola Creek; and in the recent plantings and boardwalk which fit closely with the vision for “green fingers” extending inland from Watemata and Manukau Harbours.
STEPS’ vision for a walkway from our maunga at Owairaka to Te Tokaroa/ Meola Reef on the Waitemata Harbour fits well with this vision and the Local Board Chair and members who accompanied the Mayor extended an invitation to STEPS to review our portfolio of planned projects with them.
The Mayor has met with Watercare Services regarding dates for the new Central Interceptor project, and he is now planning to meet with the local business community regarding support for Meola Creek on 9 August 2011.
We thank the Mayor for his time and support for this important Auckland stream and ecological area.
Tags: aquifer, auckland city, Auckland Council, Len Brown, Meola Creek, Roy Clements Treeway, STEPS
stephen June 23rd, 2011
STEPS will be holding its AGM on Thursday June 30, 2011, 7pm, at Alberton (100 Mt Albert Road).
After the AGM, we will be holding an open panel/floor discussion.
The panel will contain representatives from Watercare, Auckland Council and STEPS, who will present short updates on items including the interceptor, stormwater and plans for the Roy Clements Treeway plantings/wetland, and then be available for discussion of these items. We also plan to discuss our approaches to access to local green spaces.
Come along to support improving our environment. All welcome. Please note this date and pass on the information to anyone who might be interested.
Agenda attached STEPS AGM Agenda 2011
stephen May 12th, 2011
The Auckland Council has made us aware of many good technical reports at
http://www.arc.govt.nz/plans/technical-publications/technical-publications_home.cfm
In particular they recommend the following are relevant to Meola Creek situation.
P378 – Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Auckland’s aquatic environment
TR2008/023 – Urban sources of copper, lead and zinc
TR2008/028 – Literature review of organic chemicals of emerging environmental concern in use in Auckland
TR2008/029 – The impact of urban stormwater in Auckland’s aquatic receiving environment contaminants
TR2009/111 – The impacts of stormwater in Auckland’s aquatic receiving environment – a review of information 2005-2008
stephen May 6th, 2011
STEPS is a voluntary organisation and most of our work is done in the Mt Albert and Sandringham areas in Auckland. We can make a lot more progress if we have new members, new supporters or volunteers who can help us with legal and planning issues, planting, weeding etc.
At this time we have been advised that the Mt.Albert Residents Assoc. (MARA) Community Patrols are now operating, and Fergusson Ave down to Kerr Taylor Reserve is now included in the Friday night patrols.
Are there any STEPS members or volunteers who might be interested in joining these community patrols? We need more patrollers so we can operate 2 nights (Fri & Sat nights) without it being a burden on anyone. For everyone to have only one patrol per month, we need to increase our 15 patrollers to 30. We patrol 10.00pm to 2.00am with a break at midnight.Please contact us if you are able to help MARA.
stephen May 6th, 2011
The long awaited Watercourse Management Plan for Meola Creek is now available.
which includes an
excellent map, a birds-eye view, showing Meola Creek including the piped sections.
stephen March 28th, 2011
STEPS met with Auckland Council Officers, contractors, Waicare and Morphum people for our third annual planting and maintenance meeting on 17 February 2011. Minutes are attached – thanks to Taryn Pearce for co-ordinating. We also thank in particular Melissa Marler for volunteering to lead and co-ordinate a weeding group (thanks to Sel Arbuckle for assisting.). Melissa will also use her experience to help educate the contractors as the Downer team are not yet so familiar with the area as were former contractors Alldrains. We are pleased with the commitment and support Council officers are showing and thank in particular David Bowden for involving Conservation New Zealand Volunteers and assisting with tracking tunnels.
This year we are planning limited expansion of existing planting areas – mainly infill planting where plants have been lost. Instead the focus is on managing the new plantings, and especially removing weeds. If not dealt with, Kikuyu, moth plant and woolly nightshade are major threats to this beautiful volcanic streamside landscape we are restoring. These problems occur not only in the plantings but seeds are borne by wind and water from neighbouring properties.
We are willing to train volunteers to help remove weeds, and educate people about this problem so please contact us via this website if you are able to help us.
STEPS Planning Meeting Minutes_2011-02-17
Woolly nightshade. Solanum mauritianum Photo: Carolyn Lew
Moth plant / cruel vine (Araujia sericifera)
stephen March 28th, 2011
STEPS thanks the Auckland Council for providing and installing informative signs on the boardwalk in February 2011. The signs cover the history of the areas, the natural landscape, community planting and other topics.
The boardwalk continues to be well used by a range of people including school pupils, young families, local residents from Mt Albert, Sandringham and St Lukes area, and the signs will enrich the understanding of us all. We need volunteers for planting and weeding, monitoring and protecting wildlife and the creek, trapping pests, or community patrols. Please contact STEPS via this site if you want to be more involved.
stephen March 28th, 2011
Councillor Christine Fletcher joined Pat, Nick, Trevor, Virginia, Gina, Stella and Liz to walk the boardwalk and review progress with planting the spring-fed STEPS wetland. We thank Councillor Fletcher for her time and her interest.
