Nigel Clarke, senior advisor to the Porirua City Council
This week’s speaker was Nigel Clarke, senior advisor to the Porirua City Council on harbour and catchment.
Porirua is defined by its spectacular two-armed harbour, but keeping it healthy has become a serious challenge. It is surrounded by roading and housing, and there are fifteen catchments feeding into it, some of them rising in neighbouring jurisdictions.
Long ago, and before the 1855 earthquake, ships could sail into the Pauatahanui arm to discharge at Ration Point. The harbour is shallow now, averaging one metre in depth, and vulnerable to silting.
The health of the harbour has been in decline for some time, with a 50% loss of birds and 80% of seagrass from the 1978 benchmark. Pollutants such as heavy metals, chemicals and plastics flow into the waterways when wastewater overflows occur.
Reversing these problems will take a long time- perhaps 40 years.
Nigel talked us through the bureaucratic maze which he has to navigate: reports, committees, monitoring and collaboration with numerous other agencies, leading to strategies and action plans.
In the end, the tools available to the Council are limited. Engineering works are in hand to contain wastewater, trees can be planted and by-laws tightened up. Major developments like Transmission Gully, and the work of building contractors can be monitored. But the underlying issue is that much pollution is caused by the actions of thousands of householders around the city, and their lifestyles are not easily changed.
Nigel stressed the importance of education and awareness, and community action such as the protection of Taupo Swamp, in which the club is involved already.
Editor's note: Nigel has been kind enough to share his presentation for those who would like to go through it again more slowly.
Poll: Is dumping an issue in your neighbourhood?
There's nothing worse than strolling around the streets in your neighbourhood and seeing dumped rubbish.
Have you noticed this in your area? What could we do to combat this around the country?
-
42.3% Yes, I've seen some illegal dumping
-
57% No, our neighbourhood is pretty good
-
0.7% Other - I'll share below
🎉 Harrison’s 62nd Birthday Sale – Up to 50% Off on Carpet & Flooring! 🎉
Hi Neighbourly, Kerryn and Mark here from Harrison’s! 👋 Harrisons is celebrating 62 years of helping Kiwis beautify their homes, and we want to thank our community with an incredible up to 50% off on selected carpet and flooring options! 🛋️✨
If you’re thinking about a home refresh, now’s the perfect time! Whether you’re looking for cozy new carpets for the bedroom or stylish flooring for your living space, we’ve got the expertise to help you make the right choice.
🔹 Book a FREE in-home consultation today, and we’ll personally visit with over 500 flooring samples to help you find the best fit for your home.
📞 Call us at 0800 421 001 or visit our website at www.harrisonscarpet.co.nz... to schedule your consultation. Don’t wait—this offer won’t last long!
This one was sent in by your fellow neighbour, can you figure it out?
What is first white then red and the plumper it gets the more the old lady likes it?
Do you think you know the answer to our daily riddle? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm.
Want to stop seeing riddles in your newsfeed?
Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.
Loading…
