Untraceable factories continuing to dump waste in the Waiwhetu stream is only one of the regions environmental concerns
By Jamie Melbourne-Hayward
The Waiwhetu stream cleanup effort is being hampered by callous businesses that are continuing to dump waste into the stream says Lower Hutt Regional Councillor Sandra Greig. ?There are a couple of businesses that continue to leak their contents into the stream. ?The problem is we can?t track which pipes the waste is coming from,? she said. Speaking at an Eastbourne Community Board (ECB) meeting last week Mrs Greig said the businesses practices were ?not good enough in this day and age?. Waiwhetu stream project manager John Isles said locals should prepare for them being at the site for some time, with the first stages of widening and deepening the stream recently underway. ?We are going to be on the site for a while ... and we have to keep in line with stringent environmental resolutions. ?We will commence the cleanup effort in October, after the fish spawning season,? he said. Around the bay, ECB deputy chairman Derek Wilshere said environmental concerns are at the forefront of many residents? minds. The ?funny stuff? happening around the Days Bay beach stems from a Victoria University report released a month ago that detailed the functions of coastal erosion along the harbour. ?The process is complicated; the gravel has been moving along the coast and is now reaching Days Bay and Eastbourne. ?We need to work at protecting our sand dunes and creating ways for them to naturally regenerate, that is a lot cheaper than building manmade structures,? said Mr Wilshere. The Days Bay Residents? Association has announced a plan to divert the main costal road inland to help promote natural sand dune regeneration. The idea would see Marine Drive redirected around the back of Williams Park and the association has released a map showing what the changes could mean for the area. Across the harbour the Korokoro Environment Group (KEG) is bustling with ideas and volunteers, but short on funds. At (KEG) ideas abound, but tying down funding for their plans is proving elusive. The group wants to regenerate the Korokoro stream to pristine condition in the hope that native fish will thrive. They are also eying up a ?mainland island? scheme similar to the Karori Sanctuary. KEG Chairperson Ruth Mansell says they are waiting to hear more from the Greater Wellington Regional Council in regard to funding for their projects. ?The monitoring [of pests] continues and happens every three months, and we are finding quite a lot of rats. ?The results are good for us to make some baseline comparisons,? she says. Bird calls are increasing in the area and Mrs Mansell recently heard a bell bird singing in her Kowhai tree ? a sure sign the area is regenerating. ?That was a big thrill; it shows there are good things happening,? she says. The group wants to create a ?mainland island? reserve in Korokoro and are currently helping Greater Wellington and DOC track pest numbers. Karori has a ?mainland island? sanctuary, but putting up miles of predator proof fence would be a ?horrific cost? says Petone Community Board Chairman Gerald Davidson. ?[Korokoro Environment Group] are not looking to fence the area off and you can achieve a sanctuary thorough other means such as predator control,? he says. Greater Wellington environmental strategy team leader Philippa Crisp says their funding is currently directed to targeting farm streams where there are issues with nitrogen and other pollutants entering the waterway. ?The Korokoro area is regenerating well and at the moment we are working with pest control in the area ? monitoring rodents and goats.? She says ?intensive pest control? is needed to create a ?mainland island? in the area.
