Archive for the 'Politics' 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.

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.

Councillor Fletcher visits Meola Wetland

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.

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.

STEPS Presentation to Auckland City Development Committee

stephen August 3rd, 2009

On 9 July STEPS made a presentation to the Development Committee on significant water issues such as Westfield, St Lukes, plan change, and Winstones plans to fill the Three Kings quarry pit.

Here is the presentation. Presentation Development Committee-0907

Minutes are at http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/council/members/committeemeetings/city/m20090709.asp. The city will follow up on progress regarding the Watercare Services sewer interceptor upgrade.


STEPS SUBMISSION ON WESTFIELD ST LUKES PLAN CHANGE

stephen July 23rd, 2009

STEPS opposed this plan change on a number of grounds as attached. A summary of all submissions is now available on the council site above.  Anyone can now make a further submission in support of STEPS or other submissions until 31 July 2009.
STEPS submission can be read here.

Protecting Creeks and Springs in the District Plan

Liz May 11th, 2009

STEPS and Friends of Oakley Creek recently provided this input to Auckland City District Plan revision.  If you would like to support protection of creeks and springs in Auckland – then please have your say on this website  http://www.itsmybackyard.co.nz/

auckland-city-district-plan-revise-apr-09 (MS Word doc, 715k)

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Westfield seeks Private Plan Change for St Lukes Mall expansion

meolacreek May 5th, 2009

St Lukes Mall is less than 200 metres from Meola Creek, Lyon Ave.
Here is a typical flood occurring several times a year – where the Watercare Services Edendale branch sewer overflows at Lyon Ave, and pours a torrent of stormwater (including pollutants and sewage from combined sewers) into Meola Creek, and over the grounds of adjacent schools.
a torrent of stormwater (including pollutants and sewage from combined sewers) into Meola Creek

a torrent of stormwater (including pollutants and sewage from combined sewers) into Meola Creek

This week, Westfield notified a private plan change.
From initial reading of the documents we conclude that :
  • Westfield wants to change the zoning of many residential 6a and 7b properties to business 8
  • they plan an expansion of an extra 23000 sq meters beyond their shopping mall of 35800 sq meters + carpark of 26000 sq m
  • the mall development will occur over an additional 49000 sq m (carpark plus existing residential properties)
  • they are planning for a FIVE (5) fold increase in consumption of water; and emission of  waste water and a TEN (10) fold increase in storm water – both peak and average flows
  • the existing northern carpark constructed in 2003 …appears to have inadequate stormwater disposal capacity as of now
  • Watercare Services advised that the existing Edendale Branch sewer has adequate capacity to receive the additional waste water
  • no additional stormwater would be permitted to discharge into the sewer
  • excess stormwater from the site would be directed on to adjacent road reserves…to continue along the natural course downstream of the shopping centre [ie into Meola Creek at Lyon Ave as above]
(Reference Report prepared for Westfield NZ Ltd by Tonkin and Taylor Ltd 18 November 2008)
STEPS believes:
  1. Auckland City Council should not issue approvals for extremely large scale developments such as this, in an area where their own reports frequently point out the lack of capacity of the stormwater and waste water infrastructure
  2. We challenge Watercare Services statements about adequate capacity – when we all know that waste water and stormwater overflow here many times a year
  3. Most New Zealanders will find it hard to understand that NZ’s largest city accepts this situation where raw sewage frequently flows through public parks and school grounds, and heavy metal pollutants pour into Waitemata Harbour beside [heritage protected] Te Tokaroa/ Meola Reef.
  4. It is even hard to understand how Westfield and the planners of Auckland City Council have worked for several years to develop a proposal which once again ignores the unacceptable reality of these overflows through the heart of the Mt Albert electorate.
  5. ARC, Auckland City and Watercare services need to make it a priority to upgrade the Watercare Interceptor to stop these overflows
NOTE: We understand that approval of this Private Plan change would mean that they need not seek resource consents in future, providing they comply with Business 8. We also understand that there are proposed RMA changes which would prevent private plan changes. This probably increases the urgency of the approval of the plan change for Westfield – as without it they would have to seek resource consents in future.
Any comments on or updates to the above are welcome.

Meola Creek Restoration Projects

Liz April 9th, 2009

After the Meola creek press release from the Auckland City Council in May 2008, STEPS worked together with Auckland City to develop a number of project briefs to address different aspects of Meola Creek problems.  Now we are looking for Partners and Sponsors to work with to complete these projects.  Attached is a summary of all the projects. If you are interested in working with us – please contact us via this web site.

Meola Creek Projects (PDF)

One successful example of collaboration between STEPS and other organisations is shown here – “before” and “after”. The Roy Clements Treeway on Mt Albert Grammar school grounds has been planted by the community – and a boardwalk constructed by Metrowater during 2008. The new boardwalk is very popular – and a great community asset. Our thanks to MAGS and Metrowater for taking this step.
One immediate project which would improve the amenity of the upper creek and enhance ecological values – would be to “daylight” the creek – for examples where it has been done elsewhere see
Before

Before

After

After

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