River algae fix slow process

‘‘Progress will be slow but at least we have a path’’

There will be no quick fix for a toxic algae in the Hutt River.

‘‘We need to clean up a number of rivers that feed into the Hutt River,’’ Friends of the Hutt River member Pat van Berkel said.

The water quality was quite high in the river but sediment was an issue, as toxic algae fed off the nutrients in it.

‘‘Sediment gets washed into the water every time there is erosion from a storm.’’

‘‘This group has been going for three years and Friends of the Hutt River had been going for five and we want action,’’ van Berkel said.

The Hutt-Wellington Whaitua Committee, which will decided what the vision for the Hutt River’s water quality will be, is being established next year.

‘‘Progress will be slow but at least we have a path,’’ van Berkel said.

While they waited for that committee to get under way, scientists could hopefully get more of an understanding of what was contributing to the high nutrients in ground water.

‘‘Only last year we realised that ground water was going into the Hutt River – two years ago we thought the nutrients were just coming from other rivers so it was worth waiting to discover that.’’

Penny Fairbrother, the Senior Science Co-ordinator for the Greater Wellington Regional Council, said the council would start recruiting for the Wellington-Hutt committee later this year, with seats reserved for iwi and various councils, as well as room for a variety of community interests.

The council would provide science, policy and communication people to support the committee.

Toxic algae was an issue in many gravel-bed rivers, including in Hawke’s Bay, Canterbury and Hokitika.