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Manakau Harbour Beach Monitoring
12 October 2000
MANUKAU HARBOUR BEACH MONITORING
Blockhouse Bay, Waikowhai Bay and Granny’s Bay will not be tested for water quality through this summer’s Auckland City summer beach monitoring programme.
Instead, the three beaches will continue to be sampled by Watercare and Auckland Healthcare as part of its resource consent conditions for the Mangere Treatment Plant. The conditions also require Watercare to have permanent signs at the beaches stating that it is inadvisable to swim or take shellfish from them.
Works committee chairman Cr Doug Astley says the council’s monitoring of the beaches caused public confusion last summer because of conflicting messages and signs.
“We were conducting tests and telling people it was safe to swim, while the permanent Watercare signs were telling people it wasn’t,” he said. “The Medical Officer of Health drew the conflict to our attention and we have decided not to monitor the three beaches as a result.”
Cr Astley said the council would instead advise people who had any health concerns about water quality at the popular bathing spots to phone the 24 hour Auckland Healthcare helpline on 262 1855.
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He added that the beaches were generally safe for swimming and were widely used by many swimmers.
Auckland City is testing 15 beaches this summer from early next month until April. The beaches will be tested each week on a Wednesday so that beach water quality indicators will be available to weekend bathers.
They are Pt Chevalier, Herne Bay, Mission Bay, Judges Bay, Okahu Bay, Kohimarama, St Heliers, Pt England (Waitemata Harbour), Surfdale, Oneroa, Palm Beach, Onetangi (Waiheke Island) and Port Fitzroy, Tryphena and Medlands (Great Barrier Island).
People will be able to access information about the water quality at the beaches from a toll free number :0800 7233-7946, or on the Auckland City website HYPERLINK http://www.akcity.govt.nz www.akcity.govt.nz .
Ends
For further
information
Please contact Works Committee Chairman Cr
Doug Astley
Telephone: 620 4923 or 025 2970 494.
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