Waiheke Wai Care Results Will Provide A Basis For Future Stream Management Initiatives

Waiheke Wai Care test results from Little Oneroa stream are providing valuable data which will help the Auckland City Council, Auckland Regional Council and Auckland Healthcare to assess the stream’s overall health.

The data will supplement monitoring programmes the city and regional councils have already undertaken on the island.

City Works Committee chairman Councillor Doug Astley says the Wai Care group’s continued monitoring of the Oneroa stream will help build up a picture of its water quality throughout the year and contribute to strategies for the future environmental management of the stream.

“Water quality issues are complex and sustained testing over time is necessary to determine the origin and extent of any problems and how best to remedy them,” he says.

“A number of factors are involved, including land use issues in surrounding catchments, seasonal conditions, weather patterns and the day to day impacts that communities have on their local environment.”

Councillor Astley says early results arising from the Wai Care and independent testing during summer have produced coliform levels of concern to the community and the council.

The results of all testing to date will be reported to the Waiheke Community Board this month and to the City Works Committee around mid-year. They will also be posted on the Wai Care web site at www.waicare.org.nz so that they are available to everyone.

“This ready accessibility of information is an important part of the Wai Care programme which relies on community involvement and support in recognition of the fact that water quality issues are community issues, not just council issues,” Councillor Astley says.

“The programme has already been very active across the isthmus in providing valuable information about environmental issues in a number of catchments.”

Councillor Astley says the council will followup on the Waiheke group’s concerns about possible public health risks associated with a knee-deep pool in the Little Oneroa beach.

“We’ll look into that one,” he says. “At this stage, no testing has been carried out within this pool so it is not possible to gauge the risk accurately. We know that there are water quality issues associated with the stream itself, which is why we posted warning signs advising people not to swim there earlier in the year.”

ENDS

For further information, please contact:
Councillor Doug Astley, tel: 620 4923 or 025 2970 494.

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