Dear Sir/Madam
Guardians are grateful for the opportunity to comment on the draft.
Firstly, we congratulate the Council on the inclusion of “Healthy Harbour, Inlet and Waterways” as one of the limited number of Strategic Focus Areas for the city over this period. Your recognition of the very high value and importance of the harbour to the city and its people represents for us the culmination of fifteen years of effort on behalf of our community to persuade you to this strategic view.
Secondly, we strongly support the introduction of the “Porirua Harbour and Catchment Management Programme” and are pleased to note that you intend to provide significant finance for the initial phases of its implementation.
Thirdly, we are pleased to acknowledge the efforts that you have put in over the past few years towards implementation of the Pauatahanui Inlet Restoration Plan (PIRP) and welcome the extension of this kind of activity to the Onepoto Arm.
However, we are somewhat apprehensive of the potential effect of this extended programme on your continued support for work on the health and wellbeing of the Inlet. While we totally agree with you that the “initial focus on the Inlet now requires integrating with the needs of the Onepoto arm” (page 42) and note your commitment to “continued protection of the Pauatahanui Inlet” (page 53) we do fear that this intent will be massively overshadowed by the needs of the Onepoto Arm.
It is not an option to cease activity on implementation of the PIRP – no matter how large and how urgent are the needs of the rest of the harbour. Recent research commissioned by you and the Regional Council shows that there is still a great deal of work to be done in the Pauatahanui Inlet catchment to counter the two great and increasing threats to Inlet health – sedimentation from avoidable erosion and pollution from vehicles and stormwater. Any diminution of the current effort will only increase the problem.
We acknowledge that the specific actions required of the Porirua Harbour and Catchment Management Programme can only be determined after the initial “research and monitoring” phase is completed. At this stage Guardians wish only to point to our concerns, ask you to bear them in the forefront of your minds and assure you that we will continue to press for adequate progress on matters concerning the health of the Inlet.
Guardians would appreciate an opportunity to make an oral presentation to Council on this submission.
Yours sincerely
John Wells
Chairperson
234 1788
wellsjm@xtra.co.nz
