Liz July 14th, 2017
If you see a problem in parks or creeks – please phone it in. Below are some key contact numbers, and also some street addresses for the upper creek/ Roy Clements Treeway/ Kerr Taylor Park, so you can help them locate the problem.
Manholes
If there is a missing, dislodged or damaged manhole cover, or a blocked public drain, phone:
- Auckland Council – Healthy Waters urgently on 09 301 0101
“48% of stormwater in combined sewer areas comes from Auckland Transport roads
52% from private property roofs and impervious surfaces”
Pollution in the water
For stormwater pollution, including pollutants being discharged into creeks and streams
- Auckland Council Pollution Hotline 09 377 3107
Damage to Parks, streams, or dead/ wounded animals in parks
Trolley Information
If you find trolleys in the creek, please phone them in to the retailer.
- 0800-404040 or St Lukes Branch 2552382 -blue and green handle
- Warehouse ; 09 8469534 – red ones
- Kmart 0800 944553 – other red ones
Then post a photo on Facebook or Neighbourly if still there.
Street Addresses – Roy Clements Treeway, Kerr Taylor Park, Ahurangi
- Roy Clements Treeway 30 Alberton Ave or
- Roy Clements Treeway 15 Lyon Ave or
- Roy Clements Treeway 1 Wagener Pl (Noel Leeming carpark)
- Kerr Taylor Park 35 Fergusson Ave or
- Kerr Taylor Park 164A Haverstock Rd
Kerr Taylor Park is also called Fergusson Reserve!
“Every millimetre of rain falling on a square meter of impermeable surface produces one litre of stormwater runoff” – Auckland Council.
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Tags: Meola Creek
Liz June 21st, 2017
Meola Creek and Albert Eden Local Board area are underlain by the largest aquifer under Auckland Council’s protection. It is so large it has at least 3 different names “Three Kings-Meola-Western Springs”.
STEPS has submitted to Albert Eden, Waitemata and Puketepapa Local Boards asking them to adopt a joint strategy to protecting the aquifer and restoring the creeks and wetlands associated with it.
STEPS has also pointed out the need for stormwater infrastructure in Albert Eden area. While Meola is the largest catchment on the isthmus, it has the least stormwater infrastructure. The Central interceptor will provide sewerage/ wastewater pipes. It is essential that it is supplemented by stormwater pipes to treat heavy metals and runoff from our roads. The Unitary plan intends to add 2 sq kilometers more of impervious hard surfaces -adding millions of cubic meters of stormwater each year. Despite this, Long Term Plan and Stormwater Asset Management Plans specify zero expenditure in Meola catchment. We are working with a Stormwater/ Wastewater coalition to bring these facts to the attention of our Mayor and Councillors. Without stormwater infrastructure, any housing & intensifications plans will fail to meet people’s needs. See STEPS Submission
We note that in 2017 Minister Nick Smith accepted an application for a Water Conservation Order (WCO) for the coldwater springs in Golden Bay — and for the Arthur Marble aquifer that feeds them. We applaud recognition of such a valuable taonga.
Meola-Western Springs Aquifer along with Mt Wellington and Onehunga Aquifers hold 55% of the underground water in Auckland. These three aquifers on the Auckland isthmus have approximately 6% of the water availability of Pupu Springs.
ACTION REQUESTS : – please make sure your Local Board and Councillors know how important clean water is to Auckland.
Join STEPS and come along to our cleanup days – second Saturday of every month. Watch this site for location.
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Tags: aquifer
Liz May 1st, 2017
On 27 April STEPS was delighted to host our new Mt Albert MP’s Jacinda Ardern’s visit to Meola Creek in the heart of Mt Albert electorate.
We spoke with Jacinda about the likely increases in storm water pollution due to more extreme weather events at the same time as the the planned “intensification” of Auckland isthmus under the Auckland Unitary Plan. We need housing plans that include funding for stormwater infrastructure so that people’s houses are not flooded, and our beaches not polluted. See Jacinda’s post about Meola.
Background: Meola catchment has minimal or no storm water infrastructure; there are some “combined sewers” where Auckland Council has ‘borrowed’ space from Watercare sewers. These ‘blow’ nearly every time it rains and our flood photos on this site show the results. Sadly Meola has the unenviable record of the highest volume of overflows of raw sewage and heavy metal runoff in Auckland.
STEPS is working closely with Watercare Services on the Central Interceptor. By 2026 (yes 9 years’ time) it is intended to reduce Meola annual sewage overflows from around 100 to around 20 overflows. Without additional work on stormwater the large floods shown in our photo gallery will still occur, and toilet paper and pathogens will still be found on Auckland beaches.
Watercare CEO in Asset Management plan 2016-36 states
- “Continued reliance on the wastewater system for the collection and treatment of stormwater is not sustainable for a growing and liveable city.”
STEPS agrees and calls on Auckland Council to update the Three Waters Strategy, and arrange for long term funding of stormwater infrastructure on the isthmus. STEPS informed Jacinda that we believe Government support will be needed for infrastructure funding.
Put simply – we need an Auckland Isthmus stormwater plan, the funding, and an independent regulator who will ensure it is built.
We were pleased with this first visit, especially in the context that this was the week when the 2017 round of Freshwater submissions to Government occurred.
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