Kia ora koutou Hapua Thrivers and supporters of safe and clean water around Waitaramoa /Hobson Bay.
We hope you are all keeping safe and well and have had some happy times over the summer. This is just a short update as well as a gentle request for help.
Thanks to Katie Todd of RNZ, the issue of untreated sewage flowing into Hobson Bay was raised publically again outlining that it may take ten years to fix ( if not more). If you missed the article read it on the rnz website or listen to the audio.
Local eyes and noses needed
For two years now Watercare and Auckland Council have been working on the dry weather faults – concentrated untreated sewage discharges. Some progress has been made but if we want to focus on fixes one of the best things we can do is report! report! report!
If you smell or see yucky discharges from drains or in the local waterways that don’t seem right, especially if they smell like poo, immediately report a fault on the watercare website or call 09 3773107. Also please drop us a line on the contact form of our website.
Reports are followed up and make the finding of the source much easier as the waterways are effective distributors of harmful waste.
For example a report made last year of toilet paper in the mangroves in Hapua Stream has meant that a large dislodged pipe that was tipping sewage directly into the stream is now being fixed.
Wet weather spills
Since Katie’s article was written we have heard that 35 years ago Auckland City Council promised at a public meeting that the wet weather discharges would be resolved but it would take ten years. Now we are told it will be another ten years, making it a whopping 45 years (if priorities aren’t changed). This is not okay. We understand that if the Newmarket Gully Storage project was completed asap it would reduce the spills by half. This could be done straight away if the will was there. So please feel encouraged to contact your local councillor/local board members or MP’s to encourage action or drop us a line on our contact form on our website and we will pass the message on.
Prior incidents
If you have examples of contamination, including photos, or stories to tell, please get in touch with us. Both good and bad stories will help us move forward and give us good examples to work from and share with others.
Please stay safe, together with a bit of mahi we will get there. We look forward to hearing from you.
Nga mihi
The Hapua Thrive Team