$13m cost of dredging Porirua Harbour
‘‘It's unconsentable, unaffordable and unfeasible, and this report proves it.’’
A $13 million price tag is among a slew of reasons why Porirua Harbour should not be dredged, a new report has found.
Removing the build-up of silt from the harbour’s bottom was unlikely to be consented, might not be supported by iwi, and didn’t guarantee a fix for the murky waters, it says.
Porirua city councillor Anita Baker said a small group of residents had been pushing for the dredging, and she felt the report had put the issue to rest.
‘‘I think it draws a line. It’s unconsentable, unaffordable and unfeasible, and this report proves it.’’
Dredging the harbour has been an issue debated for years as a build-up of silt and sediment prevented the Pauatahanui Inlet from flushing into the ocean.
The report was commissioned by Porirua City Council and Greater Wellington Regional Council, and presented to the Te Awarua-o-Porirua Harbour and Catchment Joint Committee last week.
It looked at the feasibility of dredging the Pauatahanui Inlet of 8000 tonnes of sediment each year for 10 years. It found consents could cost about $5.5m and physical works about $7m, and said the work could make little difference to the harbour.
It’s not the first time a report has discounted dredging – a 2012 report found it wouldn’t work – but supporters have continued to press for action.
Baker, who chairs the committee that received the report, said the state of the inlet was worrying, but the report showed ‘‘ripping up the harbour’’ wasn’t the solution.
Planting around the water’s edge to help filter contaminants and improving infrastructure was what the council should spend money on, and she hoped dredging would not be considered again.
‘‘This is putting it to bed. There’s no way we’re going to bring it up again.’’
Regional councillor Jenny Brash, a vocal supporter of dredging, said the report had left her ‘‘depressed, angry and very concerned’’ for the harbour.
‘‘It’s painfully obvious what the problem is – you only have to look at our dirty, gluggy beaches to see it.
‘‘We’ve got sand dunes at the back of Pak ‘n Save and you can’t let your kids play in the water because it’s too polluted.’’
She said the issue would be discussed again at the regional council.
‘‘If they aren’t going to dredge it, how are they going to get the silt out? It’s suffocating the water.’’
Porirua Estuary Recovery Committee spokesman Mike Roche was disappointed by the report’s finding, having supported dredging ‘‘in the absence of anything else’’.
‘‘All this crud coming into the harbour, and nobody is stopping it.’’
The committee accepted the report, which suggested the 2020 review of the Harbour Strategy would be the best opportunity for the community and other stakeholders to consider dredging.