St Lukes Environmental Protection Society

Liz April 30th, 2017

STEPS submitted to the Ministry for the Environment’s “Clean Water 2017” consultation document. Having first submitted on Fresh Water standards with Friends of Oakley Creek in 2009, STEPS has watched with dismay as the well founded recommendations of the Land and Water Forum  have been “watered down” to the point of being sound bytes. In our view:

• “Swimmability” criteria consider approximately 45,000 kilometres of NZ’s 425,000 km of waterways.  This is 10.5% ; and then only 80% of the time… so how does this become “90% of our rivers and lakes are swimmable by 2040” ?
• Urban fresh water and swimming issues have been ignored, yet 33% of NZ population is in Auckland, and 86% “urbanised” according to OECD Environmental Performance Review New Zealand 2017 (OECD)
• A $100 million Freshwater Improvement Fund is proposed compared with the existing  $400 million for irrigation funding

We urge the Government to work with Local Governments to provide access to long term sustainable funding to address infrastructure requirements of urban water issues.

Boardwalk under water

STEPS included a case study on Auckland water, highlighting that:

• raw sewage runs into Waitemata Harbour and Hauraki Gulf every time it rains
• Auckland’s prime inner city swimming beaches and bays are visually polluted and pathogens such as norovirus have been found. The public do not know if children are safe in the water
• By 2026 Central Interceptor will reduce (not eliminate) sewage overflows by 80%. Watercare CEO states: “Continued reliance on the wastewater system for the collection and treatment of stormwater is not sustainable for a growing and liveable city.” Much of Mt Albert has no stormwater infrastructure and many parts of the city have combined sewage and stormwater into the same pipe.
• Any housing policy based on an intensified Auckland city will founder on raw sewage unless stormwater issues are addressed by Auckland Council

See also a NZ Geographic article on Auckland water: No Swimming and a submissions from EDS and NZFSS.

To address Auckland’s lack of stormwater infrastructure and associated pollution, STEPS proposed in our submission  STEPS SUBMISSION FRESH WATER 2017:

• Science based policies to address all fresh water as per Land and Water Forum
• An Independent Regulator for Stormwater as has been done in UK USA and Canada (We support the Stop Auckland Sewage Overflows Coalition’s call.)
• Infrastructure bonds from central Government for stormwater

Up to 60% of the human adult body is water, and it is our roofs, concrete and roads which create runoff and stormwater.

“Ko au te awa. Ko te awa ko au.”

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Liz April 18th, 2017

UPDATE:

Three of us met on 29 April, and despite increasing rain, we collected rubbish on Meola Headwaters near Haverstock outfall on Kerr Taylor Park.   When the rain became too much, we retired to the closest café, gumboots and all.

We were delighted to be joined at Ahurangi by Alex Stone who  has now been assigned to work on the Roy Clements Treeway signs – it was a novel introduction and augurs well for the signs project.

Ahurangi (Meola headwaters) starts behind the new housing development on Haverstock Road, and next to Plant and Food Research. It runs past the Kura Kaupapa, and the farm, then into Kerr Taylor Park, and it needs some care!

All STEPS members and supporters are invited to help.  We’ll collect rubbish and maybe some pest weeds for those that know them. Come join us for just an hour or so.

This clean up was a Neighbourly.co.nz “Great Community Clean Up” event. Thanks for the support Warehouse and Neighbourly.

When:                        Saturday April 29, 2017,  10:00 – 11:30am

Where:                       Kerr Taylor Reserve Bridge

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Liz April 3rd, 2017

STEPS has been campaigning for improvements in storm water for over 10 years now.

While we are involved with the Central Interceptor project, that is at best an interim approach which will not deal with the major overflows.  (See the pictures from the flood this month at

http://www.meolacreek.org.nz/2017/03/16/meola-in-flood-11-12-march-2017/  )

See our STEPS  submission on the annual budget which seeks action from the Auckland Council Healthy Waters (formerly stormwater) team, initially in the form of a visible stormwater strategy/ policy, and to be followed by stormwater infrastructure.

We wrote to Councillors Casey and Fletcher, and the Albert Eden Local Board seeking their active support in asking the Mayor and Council to address the unacceptable flooding of our streets and the contamination of Meola Creek by runoff and sewage overflows from combined sewers.

We believe that Councillors Fletcher and Casey and the Albert Eden Local Board understand the issues and we have asked them to act on our behalf, in the interests of Albert Eden Roskill residents.

Further,  a new “Stop Auckland Sewage Overflows Coalition” set up by Herne Bay and St Marys Bay Residents Associations has been recognised by Auckland Council as ‘Key Stakeholders’. Manukau Harbour Groups and others are members of it, and STEPS is sharing information.  Here is their submission on the annual plan. Coalition submission to Auckland Council 27.3.17 final  STEPS is delighted to hear opposition to combined sewers from this large group.

At this time, Auckland Council is preparing its submission on the Ministry for the Environment’s ‘Clean Water Package’. In STEPS’ view the Government package  has missed the boat entirely by focusing only on rural interests and ignoring swimmability / deposition issues in Auckland. We plan to submit before 28 April close date.

The Auckland Council Environment and Community Committee discussed this package  on 4 April; you can listen at  http://councillive.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/video/40417-environment-and-community-committee-items-12-part-2/ After a robust discussion,  Councillors Mike Lee, Cashmore, and Darby were asked to assist Auckland Council Healthy Waters  team to make it clear to Government that Aucklanders expect a much higher standard of water quality in creeks and harbours, and on the beaches where our large population swims.  We look forward to their submission on our behalf.

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