Media Release 13 March 2008

Tukituki Meeting Useful

The “Let’s Talk Tukituki” meeting held by Hawke’s Bay Regional Council last night (Wed 12 March) was useful, with Council staff pleased with the good turn out of about 200 people from the general public, and interest and action groups.

The meeting was offered by the Council as a way to present the range of monitoring programmes and water quality it manages and to discuss public concerns on the quality of the Tukituki River water.

“We have had people talking about their concerns about the state of the Tukituki River - it’s not a short term issue – and this was their chance to get information and answers to questions. Council knows there are frustrations about the length of time some of the solutions will take,” said Council Chief Executive Andrew Newman.

A number of Council staff presented information on the monitoring programmes in place to assess water quality and water flows. The process for the public to get involved in setting environmental goals was also outlined in terms of the Regional resource management plan.

Attending the meeting were members of the public, people living along the Tukituki, Fish and Game members, water action group members as well as Central Hawke’s Bay District Council representatives.

“There are some complexities but Council is willing to have its science independently peer reviewed in relation to our monitoring programme, and any other technical information that people might have can be run through as well,” he says.

It was made clear to the meeting that in terms of sewage pond discharges in Central Hawke’s Bay, that CHB District Council is looking for solutions but this will still take time.

“CHB District Council is very willing to work even more quickly, if possible, than the 2014 deadline set for their wastewater treatment upgrade. We will be looking at how it could happen more quickly, meanwhile ensuring that their current system continues to perform to the conditions of their consent,” said Mr Newman.

Hawke's Bay Regional Council wants to have a constructive dialogue with the community.

“The community is doing its job in questioning the way we do ours – and we are happy to be transparent. The community also has to work with the Regional Council to set goals and find sustainable long term solutions – not just on the water quality issues on the Tukituki but also on the huge range of environmental issues throughout the region.”

ends

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