Liz July 3rd, 2019
Yesterday STEPS and our friends the Freelance Moth Plant Removers had a third session in a large property at the top of the Waititiko Meola catchment. Margaret and Camilla worked around the wetland; Jeremy and Oliver worked back along the watercourse (source of Meola Creek), and Jean, Keith, Sel, Neil, Shannon and Liz went along the western boundary to remove moth plant pods before they could burst. We hope we prevented millions of future plants!
The weeds had become entrenched since the gardener of many years moved on. Both moth plant (Araujia hortorum) and woolly nightshade ( Solanum mauritianum) are listed as pest plants by Auckland Council. We plan to soon finish off many woolly nightshades which are still there in order to provide the owner with a clear starting point for containing these weeds. Unfortunately each araujia pod may have 1000 seeds and the ground will now be covered in seedlings for many more years.
The top of the catchment is a critical point for transmitting weeds down to the neighbours and wider catchment. This is the last of four large watershed properties to commit to managing weeds and we have been delighted by the enthusiasm of staff volunteers. Because we don’t want to repeat this effort here we now plan to work with the gardening management and team to prevent recurrences.
Thanks so much to Jean who organised us and provided photos; and to Keith and those who brought gear; Shannon for materials and for joining us and of course our large professional gang who did all the work – the largest so far according to Jean!
“They also serve who only stand and watch admiringly”😃
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Liz June 21st, 2019
Watercare Services have now achieved Auckland Council approval for the following enhancement projects in association with four of the five Meola Central Interceptor sites: Norgrove restoration, MAGS tributary planting, Kura Kaupapa tributary planting and Roy Clements Treeway privet control.
We thank both Watercare and GreensceneNZ especially Christy Reynolds (Ecologist), Brent Evans and Bernice Chiam; also Huw Hill-Male and others in Auckland Council. Work will start in July 2019. STEPS is delighted that Waitītiko will be enhanced, and the local community will benefit.
Please contact us via this blog site if you want to participate or would like further information.
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Liz June 19th, 2019
On 16 April 2019 Auckland Council commissioners granted Auckland Council Healthy Waters a network discharge consent for the diversion and discharge consent for all of the existing and future stormwater discharge from the public stormwater network. Here is the decision.
While we appreciated the public notification and we supported the goal of aligning the range of HW stormwater consents into one framework, STEPS had submitted jointly with Oakley Creek opposing several aspects of this consent. We consider that “all future stormwater discharge” is far too broad given the problematic situation now. Further we see no standards for what can be discharged.
Following our submissions, we were later shocked at the lack of consultation with residents and groups such as STEPS. Special follow up sessions were held by Healthy Waters consent team with various corporate groups who had concerns, but none with other submitters such as Forest and Bird, SASOC (Stop Auckland Sewage Overflows Coalition) or STEPS. On 31 May STEPS and Friends of Oakley Creek jointly became section 274 participants to the appeals of both Forest and Bird and SASOC, to try to achieve some more balance and involvement of ratepayers in the discharge consent process. For us this is about clean water, as stormwater is the major driver of pollution in Meola Creek.
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