Archive for the 'Environmental Issues' Category

Progress on Meola overflows

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.

You’re invited to STEPS AGM, Thursday June 30th, Alberton

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

Technical reports on water pollutants relevant to Meola Creek

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

Meola Creek Watercourse Plan now available to view

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.

STEPS Plans for Upper Meola Creek 2011

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)

Three Kings Quarry “Cleanfill” Court Action – Final Debates

stephen March 23rd, 2011

STEPS joined with South Epsom Planning Group in appealing the original Environment Court decision to request higher standards of cleanfill to minimise any risk of pollution of the Three Kings-Meola-Western Springs aquifer and to protect the environment for future generations.

STEPS is pleased that the Court accepted all the evidence of SEPG and STEPS expert witnesses, and we especially note that that Watercare Services were involved in the case to protect aquifer water quality.

As is normal practice, the Environment Court reserved their decision and indicated that they would be likely to deliver the decision sometime within the next 12 weeks.

STEPS submission is attached and a full report can be found on Joel Cayford’s blog http://joelcayford.blogspot.com/2011/03/fletcherwinstone-cleanfill-court-action.html

STEPS submission Winstones hearing

St Lukes, the debate

stephen November 25th, 2010

Here is the link to Bob Dey’s summary on the new Auckland Council’s debate and approval of the change to the district plan which would allow Westfield to expand St Lukes. http://www.bdcentral.co.nz/afa.asp?idWebPage=8338&idBobDeyProperty_Articles=15241&SID=554981993. Links to previous stories can be found there too.

Thanks to the 5 Auckland Councillors who voted against this.

We have been trying to get this infrastructural situation recognised for many years now. However this latest setback clearly means that even when the problem is acknowledged by council. it makes no difference to the Commissioners or to the Council decision. We look forward to your support as we continue to try to protect Meola Creek and get Watercare Services and Council to take some responsibility for protection.

Westfield St Lukes expansion decision delayed

stephen October 31st, 2010

Westfield St Lukes Plan Change – Update October 2010

Following the plan change hearings in June 2010, a draft planners report was produced. The report link is http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/council/members/councilmeetings/20100923_1800/CNCL%2D23092010%2DOPN%2DAGD%2D%2312.pdf

The independent Commissioners for Auckland City recommended in the final weeks of Auckland City existence that the plan change to facilitate the St Lukes expansion should go ahead. STEPS had made a comprehensive submission on the impacts on Meola Creek, and we presented at the hearings. As reported in an earlier Blog, we supported the peer review done by Council officers in respect of water issues. One reason we appeared is that it has been made clear to us at Resource consent time that our only hope for being heard is by influencing the plan. The Commissioners report appeared to rely on the evidence from the developer.

See pages 62-64 in the decision for 1 page on water and lava forest. As we read it:

- Stormwater will all be worked out at the appropriate time. Despite the contradictory evidence – Westfield engineer is happy with soakage. And the commissioners agreed.

- Waste water effects will be no more than minor and anyway though the situation is unsatisfactory, this is beyond the control of the applicant so it would NOT BE REASONABLE FOR A PLAN CHANGE TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE LACK OF AN INTERCEPTOR.

STEPS asks Who would need sewerage infrastructure to increase peak waste water flows by 8 times?

We were pleasantly surprised at the final Auckland City Council meeting on 23 September that the council deferred a decision.

STEPS believes that St Lukes Community Association were key to achieving this deferral – see press release at:

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1009/S00306/st-lukes-community-applauds-mayoral-leadership.htm

Reporter Bob Dey reported on it as follows:

http://www.bdcentral.co.nz/afa.asp?idWebPage=8338&idBobDeyProperty_Articles=14964&SID=351783881

Later the Auckland City Council wisely decided to leave the decision for the new council – see

http://www.bdcentral.co.nz/afa.asp?idWebPage=8338&idBobDeyProperty_Articles=15078&SID=407944042

STEPS is hopeful that the new City Council will pay more attention to the very real infrastructure issues faced by the St Lukes area and will consider the interests of local residents when they review this plan change.

Bird Count in Meola wetland

stephen July 8th, 2010

On a wet Sunday afternoon 4th July I stood beneath the trees on the lava strewn hillock to the north of the Kerr Taylor Reserve to do our first 1 hour bird count for the annual Garden bird survey run by Landcare Research. http://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/research/biocons/gardenbird/

We had a slow start on the wetland. But looking south to the newly planted “habitat area” with a few meagre young native grasses planted in lawn – a group of blackbirds was hard at work. They kept me entertained for half an hour – and if the people in the brick apartments wondered who was standing under the trees looking their way with binoculars, none of them came out to find out.

A solitary chaffinch flew by, and the number of blackbirds in the open habitat area increasd to 6. A loan grey seagull wheeled overhead. A large cat slowly walked from the weir to Kerr Taylor reserve, staying dry using the boardwalk as a shelter from the rain.

With 10 minutes to go I heard singing – then louder; and a man and woman came walking south along the boardwalk in the misty rain, singing a waiata. A magical close out to the hour.

Thanks Eden Albert Community Board and Te Ngahere for the recent historic plantings of the Kerr Taylor reserve. The blackbirds certainly spent the time in the habitat area. Perhaps next year our pukeko, ducks or shags will show up in the wetland to be counted.

Westfield St Lukes Plan Change Hearings

stephen June 27th, 2010

Update: Further to STEPS submission regarding the lack of waste and storm water infrastructure at http://www.meolacreek.org.nz/2009/07/23/steps-submission-on-westfield-st-lukes-plan-change/ Roy Clements, Pat Prescott and Liz Walker appeared at the hearings on 22 June 2010.

Our presentation is linked  click here (3Mb pdf), including pictures of the 1 June storm which covered the board walk with storm and waste water overflow. STEPS was very interested to discover that the Environment Court had made a ruling in December 2009 declaring St Lukes a town centre, with input from ARC and ACC and despite lack of infrastructure.   All hearings submissions and evidence have been scanned by the council and placed here (click on Agenda Attachments) http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/council/members/hearings/a201006140930.asp

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