IA offers further $11.6 million to Create Healthy Harbour

Statement made by John Robertson, Chairman, Infrastructure Auckland

Infrastructure Auckland (IA) today announced it is offering a further $11.6 million in stormwater grants across the region. Improvements to Auckland’s stormwater system are essential if we are to avoid a “dying lakes” scenario right here in Auckland.

Contaminants, ranging from car exhaust and brake pad particles to silt, fertilisers and litter are being washed into Auckland’s streams, estuaries and harbours with every passing shower. In some of Auckland’s estuaries, levels of contaminants have reached internationally recognised limits for the protection of aquatic life. In others these levels have been exceeded.

Today’s grants are being offered to Waitakere City Council ($7.3 million), Papakura District Council ($2.9 million), Franklin District Council ($1.3 million) and North Shore City Council ($93K). Kaipatiki Stream Ecological Restoration Trust is to be offered a grant of $60,000 and last month the West End Rowing Club was offered a grant of $22,000.

The projects include a range of initiatives from constructing stormwater ponds in Papakura and riparian planting that will naturally filter stormwater, to the installation of raintanks in Glenfield that will divert and store stormwater onto grass, gardens or into the waste water network.

IA has to date approved grants totaling $39 million to 64 stormwater projects across the region. It has a notional allocation for stormwater projects of $150 million.

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