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.

Auckland’s Cones, Creeks and Springs

meolacreek May 4th, 2009

There are early paintings of the original landscape of Owairaka/ Mt Albert and Maungawhau/ Mt Eden – and the “cabbage tree swamps” in between :

1) ” Cabbage Tree Swamp ” by John Backhouse in the 1880s

http://find.natlib.govt.nz/primo_library/libweb/action/dlDisplay.do?vid=TF&docId=nlnz_tapuhi134515

held at the Turnbull library and used on the cover of the recent reprint of Dick Scott’s “Old Mt ALbert“.

2) And at Auckland Art gallery: http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/wetlands/1/1

(Note that Alfred Sharpe painted this in 1889 – after he moved to Australia. John Webster of NZHPT referred to Roger Blackley’s biography, and says since Sharpe did it in NSW for an exhibition, he was obviously doing it as a piece of remembrance, or memories of his NZ life, and cites no specific location. See also http://www.art-newzealand.com/Issues1to40/sharpe.htm )

These paintings illustrate the relationships in the natural landscape between the volcanic cones, and the springs and aquifers surrounding and underlying them. Today some remaining ecological sites of special significance include:- volcanic peaks such as Maungawhau and Owairaka ; lava features such as Meola Reef on Waitemata Harbour – reaching nearly to the North Shore; botanical sites like Withiell Thomas Reserve;  and wetland features such as Gribblehurst Park,  Meola Creek, Western Springs and Motions Creek.

Wetland Planting Day, Saturday May 9, 1pm

Freddie April 28th, 2009

STEPS applied for and received funding from the Environmental Initiatives Fund (EIF) to restore a wetland adjacent to the Roy Clements Boardwalk, which runs alongside Meola Creek.

We need volunteers to help put around 2000 native plants in the ground, and will be holding our first planting day on

Saturday May 9, at 1pm.

We are coordinating this planting day with other plans for planting and maintenance along the boardwalk, so please let David Bowden, the Parks Volunteer Coordinator, know that you would like to attend by emailing him on david.bowden@aucklandcity.govt.nz

Please bring gloves, sturdy footwear and a spade [if you have one, not essential]. Refreshments will be provided.

Scrutiny: Interview with Liz Walker of STEPS

meolacreek April 20th, 2009

Liz Walker of the St Lukes Environmental Protection Society is interviewed by Edward Rooney on Scrutiny about Meola Creek.

Part One

Part Two

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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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Meola Creek Walkway

meolacreek April 7th, 2009

The first stage of the Meola creek walkway has been completed in the Roy Clements Treeway on Mt Albert Grammar School grounds. A boardwalk was built by Metrowater, and native plantings were carried out by volunteers including STEPS, under the direction of Melissa Marler.

Within a month or two of completion the boardwalk and new weir had already shown their value as these pictures taken in February 09 show.  And the plants are surviving the extremes of wet and dry they experience.

The weir will enable more water to filter through to the aquifer.

Another planting programme is planned for this winter – starting on the weekend of 9-10 May 2009.

Watch this space for more details.

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Contacts for Meola Creek Problems

Liz March 31st, 2009

Pollution incidents should be reported immediately to ARC hotline:

Phone 377-3107

Abandoned shopping trolleys should be reported to:

Ellen Schindler Project Officer Compliance

Auckland City Environments

Auckland City Council
T: 353 9126

F: 353 9668

mailto:ellen.schindler@aucklandcity.govt.nz

Blockages in the creek, other rubbish dumping in the creek, or problems relating to the boardwalk in the Mt Albert Grammar school grounds should be reported to:

Phillip Johansen

Metrowater

T: 624-4800

mailto:Phillip.Johansen@metrowater.co.nz

Tagging, stray dogs, problems with signs, graffiti or other items in the Kerr Taylor Reserve should be reported to:

Auckland City

T: 379-2020

MEOLA CREEK RESPONSIBILITIES

Responsibility

Comment

Meola Creek

Auckland City Council – owner

 One of only 5 Auckland City creeks owned by Auckland City and managed by Metrowater

Water and waste water (including sewage)

Metrowater – ‘Retail’ sewers

Watercare Services – ‘Wholesale’ sewers and outfalls at 96 Haverstock Rd and 3 Lyon Ave

Storm water

Auckland City Council – owner

Combined sewers (storm water and waste water)

Auckland City Council – owner

 Contracts Metrowater to separate the sewers and jointly decide funding/ priorities

Creek bed

DOC - owns the water course in Meola Creek

 DOC advises that it is managed by Auckland City Council

Water quality in Meola Creek

Auckland City

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Meola Creek References

Liz March 24th, 2009

Some info from Metrowater:

Metrowater manage the creek on behalf of Auckland City who own Meola and four other urban streams on the Auckland isthmus:

The Meola Creek catchment is predominantly under residential land use
with small area of light industry and commercial use, such as St Lukes
shopping centre.
Stormwater disposal via soakage to the underlying volcanic aquifer
occurs across much of the catchment.  This recharges the aquifer, from
which groundwater discharges into Meola stream to the south of the
groundwater divide and, by virtue of the outflow from Western Springs,
into Motions Creek north of the divide.  In the remainder of each
catchment stormwater is piped through the combined stormwater/wastewater
system from which wastewater overflows can occur during some events.

Meola Reef Reserve and land to the south of Meola Road between the two
creeks (Meola and Motions) was previously a landfill.  Although the
landfill has been closed since the 1970′s, leachate discharges have
continued, leading to a current programme of landfill remediation.

Meola Creek has value as a public amenity and an aquatic ecosystem.
Consequently, knowledge of the water quality and the level of
contamination contributed by stormwater and wastewater inputs is
important for the management of the stream.

Metrowater and Auckland City Council have commissioned many studies to
establish baseline water quality conditions in multiple Auckland
Streams.  The results of these studies can then be compared to future
monitoring results to identify the extent of any changes over time.

For extra info about Meola and water catchments in Auckland City:

The most comprehensive source was published in 2001: Auckland City Drainage System Resource Consents Assessment of Environmental Effects

http://www.metrowater.co.nz/SiteCollectionDocuments/aee_contents.pdf

There are 14 separate chapters published on the web – by Metrowater…  here is one
http://www.metrowater.co.nz/SiteCollectionDocuments/aee_chpt07.pdf
You can search by chapters and there is an index – they are all similarly
named. Chapter 7 is in fact the biological environment – and chapter 8 is the assessment of environmental impacts. There are also more references.


Aspects of drainage and issues and the new Roy Clements Treeway Boardwalk Project

www.nzsses.auckland.ac.nz/conference/2008/papers/Clarke.pdf

A general introduction to Meola Creek which includes some stormwater
info…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meola_Creek

For general information on stormwater and understanding stormwater and
stormwater systems and issue visit the ARC website/page:
http://www.arc.govt.nz/environment/water/stormwater/stormwater_home.cfm

Other references

Report

Author

Date

Auckland City Drainage System Resource Consents Assessment of Environmental Effects

Auckland City, Metrowater

March 2001

See wwwmetrowater.co.nz/environmental/aee.aspx

Water Quality Monitoring Report. ICS Area 1: Integrated Catchment Study Stage 1D. Meola and Motions Creek

Sinclair Knight Merz Ltd.

Feb 2004

Meola Stormwater Management Plan. Volume 5. Management Plan – Issue D

City Design

Sep 1997

Meola Catchment Groundwater Soakage. Study Stage 2. Investigations

City Design

May 1998

Meola Integrated Catchment Management Project. Phase 1 Report – Volume 1. May 2000 DRAFT

Sinclair Knight Merz

May 2000

Meola Reef and Associated Reserves. Draft Management Plan

City Design

2000

Meola Integrated Catchment Management Project. Phase 2 Report – Remedial Options

Sinclair Knight Merz

Feb 2002

Meola Reef Picnic

meolacreek March 19th, 2009

Nick Goldwater, Deputy Chair of STEPS will speak at the Meola Reef picnic Saturday, 21 March.  STEPS members are very pleased to join with other community groups and people who care for the Meola creek and estuary.

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