Your Questions Answered - Mangawhai Harbour Water Quality Project

 

The health and sustainability of Mangawhai Harbour is a matter of vital importance. The harbour plays a significant part in the health and wellbeing of the wider Kaipara community.

While the Mangawhai Community Wastewater Scheme has contributed towards better water quality there is still a lot to learn about the health of the harbour and where any action needs to be focused.

The Council has recently launched a project aimed at closing the knowledge gap on water quality in the harbour. This project revolves around research and testing of the harbour and its tributaries, with the overall objective being to ensure a healthy and productive harbour able to be enjoyed and valued by all.

The initial phase involves understanding testing practices. We need to find out what testing has historically happened, what testing is currently happening and what testing may be needed to ensure sustainable management practices.

You may be surprised to know that little testing has been done in the past; to understand harbour health a systematic and co-ordinated approach is needed that gives us knowledge of trends relating to the harbour’s health. This matter was discovered by the Mangawhai Community Wastewater Panel members who assisted the Council to review the Mangawhai Community Wastewater Scheme earlier this year.

A further advisory team has recently been established consisting of community members, Iwi, and the Council. The community members are offering their time as volunteers, and have been drawn from the panel of the earlier exercise. The team is also working closely with Northland Regional Council.

Their purpose is to:

* Design an ongoing water testing programme for the Mangawhai Harbour.

* Identify the nature of the water quality issue.

* Develop a Mangawhai Harbour Improvements Strategy and Action Plan.

* Consider the establishment of an Advisory/Management group to manage the Harbour going forward.

This project requires a lot of work over an extended time-frame to enable a better understanding of water quality issues and the development of a comprehensive plan to drive improvements that will

ensure the sustainable health of the harbour. I will advise progress from time to time through this column.

If you have information that you feel would contribute to this project, please feel free to contact me or send it to the Council’s project owner, Duncan McAulay, at dmcaulay@kaipara.govt.nz
 

Future planning survey Kaipara District Council needs your help this summer with your views on the future shape of Mangawhai. The Council seeks your input by way of a brief 10 minute survey. This will assist the Council with strategic direction on policy, planning and spending on infrastructure, parks and facilities in Mangawhai. Participation is confidential. However each participant who provides a contact email will go into the draw to win one of three $100 restaurant vouchers from a Mangawhai restaurant of your choice. The survey is open until Monday 11 January 2015. Winners of the restaurant vouchers will be drawn by Friday 15 January. Further opportunities for the public to have a say will occur as this project develops. Please take the time this summer to fill it out. Your views are important. You can find the survey directly at www.surveymonkey.com/r/7TX7R7C or follow the link on the Council’s website, www.kaipara.govt.nz.