Council advises duck pond unsustainable!

David from Cannons Creek

It was disappointing to read in the 17/3/20 KPMN issue that the council is calling for public feedback on the future of the lagoon and have not made any 'pre-determined plans' - yet they have already determined that the duck pond has become 'unsustainable' and are seeking to remove that amenity-which they have done without consulting the public beforehand.

'Unsustainable' is council speak for 'We don't want to spend money on fixing it' even though considerable money was spent on developments around the duck pond since 2017/18 ie splash pad, footpath around the lagoon itself, retaining wall at south end of lagoon(adjacent to rose garden) including the soil,the railway tracks, and the pier and 2 deck areas were removed but not replaced.

Was replacing the footpath around the lagoon really necessary - it wasn't damaged nor had it presented itself as a safety hazard?

As for the retaining wall, only a part of it was rebuilt,again,for what reason and why only a small portion or it leaving 3 different designs - old and new with varying levels of height and width?

The new section being narrower/lower cannot be used for seating but you could with the original design being more practical- much needed as there are only 4 seating bays for a total of 8 people in that area. This particular 'improvement' was incomplete, inconsistent and lacked foresight.

The council 'determined the fate of the duck pond by knowingly neglecting it for over 2 years knowing that it would reach the 'not cost effective to restore it' point ie 'unsustainable'.

In the last 3 years there have been several safety hazards appear due to the neglect of upkeep; the wire mesh on the bridge over the duck pond has uplifted -hazardous, especially at night, the rope guide rail was broken for 2 months before it was repaired, the waste material sitting afloat the waters surface has increased to 70% coverage in the last 3 months leaving little visible water -surely, a hygiene issue(?), and the duck population has declined by 85% in the last 3 years.

I hardly, see any ducks in the duck pond now as they prefer the cleaner waters of the lagoon.

Strange how the council failed to notice these hazards- an indication of the level of care and maintenance it has provided since 2017 and if the duck pond has become 'unfixable' it is soley due to the council's neglect of it.

The feeding of the ducks has been a popular and traditional Kiwi past time for generations of children throughout NZ.

Lastly, in 2017 my letter to the council advising 3 points; stop the ducks being fed bread(to improve health),clean out the pond/increase water levels(to prevent overheating by sunlight) and introduce circulation and aeration (to prevent algae growth) remained unresponded to.

I praise the council for then putting up signs advising against feeding the ducks bread, albeit, the cheapest option amidst other concurrent expensive developments outside of the duck pond, and so now I call on the councils expertise (and competence) and ask them what other actions have they taken since my 2017 letter and when did they decide to rid themselves of the duck pond?

Sometimes it's not always about making things new but, rather, making them better.