Sediment Reduction Plan endorsed

Last night the Te Awarua-o-Porirua Harbour and Catchment Joint Committee endorsed a sediment reduction plan for the harbour catchment.

“The Te Awarua-o-Porirua Harbour and Catchment Strategy and Action Plan identifies sedimentation as the most significant threat to the health of our harbour,” says Committee Chairperson Bronwyn Kropp. "Sediment is a double hit to our harbour, not only does it suffocate the mudflats it also carries with it many contaminants."

“ PCC along with Ngati Toa, Wellington City Council and Greater Wellington City Council have committed to a range of actions in the Strategy to reduce the amount of sediment reaching our harbour. This Plan outlines the activities each of us is undertaking in this area and will be reviewed in three years.”

The activities fall under four general categories:

· Encouraging changes in land management activities on public and private land;

· Regulation of activities with potential to generate sediment;

· Educating the community on techniques for reducing soil erosion as a result of their activities

· On-going monitoring to inform future sediment management decisions

Background information:

The key sediment reduction activities of this plan can be summarised as:

1. Rural erosion control – Erosion control of steep, erosion-prone rural land under public and private ownership

2. Riparian management – Prioritised riparian management on public and private land

3. Sediment capture – Capturing sediment before it enters the harbour through street sumps and other devices

4. Regulation – Regulatory provisions for sediment control for urban, rural and infrastructure development through theProposed Natural Resources Plan and district plan reviews

5. Education – Community education programmes to promote increased awareness of sediment issues and behaviour changes to reduce sediment-laden run-off

6. Monitoring – Ongoing monitoring to track sedimentation rates and inform sediment reduction activities

ends

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