North Shore Times (New Zealand)
Council is in murky waters
Auckland Council fined a developer $300 for flouting pollution controls at a Birkenhead development site - an amount Kaipatiki Local Board member Grant Gillon described as ‘‘ridiculous’’ at a heated meeting. ‘‘Some spend more on coffee, I know I do,’’ Gillon said.
Kaipatiki Local Board members questioned a council officer over the fine, another incident and delayed lab results at the September 14 meeting.
The $300 fine was for washing muddy trucks on site, which is not the preferred practice for pollution control.
Auckland Council’s team leader of northern monitoring, Kerry Flynn admitted in the meeting that, in addition, one of the sediment controls on the site failed on July 3.
However, he said he did not believe pollution was at a point to stop construction.
The Kauri Glen Bush Society has lodged several complaints against practices taking place at the development site on Park Ave, Birkenhead.
Committee treasurer AnneElise Smithson says the stream is home to native fish, plants and glow worms.
‘‘I hope Auckland Council will look at properly funding silt control measures as our city faces rapid growth,’’ Smithson says.
Following these complaints, the Kaipatiki Local Board requested a response from Auckland Council.
The council sent water samples for testing, but two months later the board is still waiting for results.
Local board member Lorene Pigg said it is not acceptable the samples are still sitting there.
The council sets a standard for sediment control under a report called Technical Publication 90 (TP 90). Flynn said the council accepts some discharge into streams, in a ‘‘controlled fashion’’ because it is nearly impossible to stop it completely.
This was unacceptable to the local board. ‘‘There should be zero pollution,’’ said board member John Gillon.
Board member Lindsay Waugh said a standard for this kind of development ‘‘must be established now’’.
The council’s Erosion and Sediment Control Plan is being rewritten. ‘‘It is final draft,’’ Flynn said at the meeting. JFC development site manager Grant King chose not to comment on this article.