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 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 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 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.
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.
stephen June 16th, 2010
Mount Albert Grammar School Cuts Community Links
STEPS is very disappointed at recent initiatives by Mt Albert Grammar School (MAGS) to cut down old trees, build a high iron fence, and block the path which links the MAGS school farm and Alberton Ave with Kerr Taylor Reserve, Meola Creek and Fergusson Ave.
Over the past few years STEPS and MAGS have worked very well together – and only 2 weeks ago STEPS planted the stream side in the school grounds near the boarding school. So STEPS was shocked when MAGS started cutting down some old and stately trees along its Eastern Boundary with the Reserve. MAGS had also blocked the path through to the school farm – apparently for some leaky building site works.
STEPS held two meetings with MAGS over a 12 month period. At the first the school representative denied any knowledge when questioned about school plans regarding the path. In the past week it appears that Head Master Dale Burden has left instructions that the fence is to be finished during his absence in Europe on a fellowship; and that the path to the farm will not be reopened.
The work done by MAGS to help build and plant a boardwalk along the creek, and to fence off and protect the upper tributary which is on their farm is very good. But now they run the risk of severing for all time the links between the two tributaries; and the pedestrian links between Mt Albert and Sandringham. The trees are already gone (see photos attached).
ACTION: If you do not agree with this – please contact STEPS (via this website) or MAGS Headmaster – mailto:dperry@mags.school.nz and cc: STEPS.
la4-kerr-taylor-tree-planting-as-amended-for-scoping
Boundary trees before felling
Boundary trees now
stephen June 6th, 2010
UPDATE ON WINSTONES QUARRY
Following on from the item below at http://www.meolacreek.org.nz/2009/07/23/changes-to-meola-three-kings-and-western-springs-aquifer/ ARC and ACC granted Winstone Aggregates Ltd a Resource Consent to carry out earthworks and contaminated site discharges associated with the development of a cleanfill site at Three Kings Quarry, Mt Eden Road, for a term of 20 years, on the 28th November 2009. STEPS, Three Kings United, SEPG, Friends of Oakley Creek, Envirowaste and others appealed.
Subsequently Winstones have applied for a new resource consent, while appeals against the 2009 application are still to be heard. Supporting documents are at http://www.winstoneaggregates.co.nz/DMS/Three_Kings_Quarry.php?id=43
Winstones already have a “dewatering” consent whereby they can pump 5000-10,000 cu m of water (approximately 1-2 Olympic pools ) per day until 2030 out of the Meola-Three Kings- Western Springs Aquifer. Instead of the water flowing naturally downhill through creeks to the Waitemata Harbour, it is now pumped over to Onehunga and flows through the waste water system and into Manukau Harbour.
In regard to the new resource consent application, STEPS is concerned that the interpretation applied to the definition of ‘clean fill’ promoted by the applicant is not properly in accord with that specified in the Proposed Auckland Regional Plan: Air Land and Water, and MfE guidelines for “Clean Fill”.
Attached are two submissions: the first is from STEPS and the Friends of Oakley Creek; the other is the combined submission of Watercare Services and Metrowater; both outline concerns about the potential contamination of the aquifer.
STEPS Three Kings Quarry Submission
Watercare’s & Metrowater’s submissions
stephen June 6th, 2010
Flooding in wetland
- Wetland flooded
Boardwalk under water
Meola Creek submerges boardwalk
See the stress Meola Creek is under when it rains and how the wetland and boardwalk are affected.
