Destruction of a New Zealand Wetland -update

Welcome to the Midnight Collective Broadsheet 83

Actively supporting NZ’s endangered wetland birds

The NZTA have now successfully destroyed the dune lake because  our birds have abandoned it.

Dune lake July 2015

Dune lake July 2013

The birds we would have seen this year are local mallards which come and go, because most of them hang around the mall complex looking for food from shoppers. Then there were critically endangered parera (NZ Grey Duck) and parera cross birds, along with grey teal-tete  and shoveller. Between 6 and 10 pied stilts have been regular visitors at this time of year, feeding in the shallow lake. Up to 50 introduced Canadian Geese would also use the lake as a night base in winter though they would never settle here during the day because it was too close to humans walking their dogs for their safety.  An occasional rather bewildered looking pukeko still wanders through; then can be found up on the excavations when the trucks aren’t working.

Parera female July 2014

Parera cross pair July 2013

There have been surprising developments following the excavations. The NZTA tried to dig the swamp out when it first began work at the south end of the motorway at Raumati South. They soon gave up, but then tried again, further north at the Raumati Rd overbridge but here seem also to have encountered trouble. They’ve reinforced the side dune against slippage (there’s a house sitting above it), and had to use pumps to continually drain their excavations. No stories about this however, have surfaced in the local media.

Polluted water at the excavation site

Down here at the dune lake they have just scratched the surface of the peat but then piled sand and rock onto it; yet it has been disturbed which has polluted the surrounding area with black swamp water. This is a thousand year old swamp, but despite sitting on 30 feet or more of peat, the dune lake ran clear and clean. This water seeped down through the peat, then when it became waterlogged it drained away beneath the ground, finally being  collected in Drain 7. This runs south to north into and discolouring the Wharemauku, which takes west, down to the sea.

Scooping the top off the peat - Raumati Beach dune lake

This black water however can't get away. It will be harming whatever marine life is left here and  is beginning to smell.         

Pollution monitor out of water July 2015

Detached arm of pollution monitor July 2015

We have also continued monitoring the pollution monitors in the Wharemauku. These were suddenly repaired, but three weeks later they again have fallen into delapidation. We have been working on this issue and when advise of developments as they arise. No-one's talking at the moment however...

Track we were listening to while posting this - well ok he's not known for being an especially pleasant character but on stage well, who cares  so this is for James Brown nevertheless  Get up offa that Thing

Huh! 

Feels good! 

Feels good! 

Do it to me! 

Huh! 

Good God! 

I want you all in the jam!

Jill Studd's Blog

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