Stop Watercare! Say NO to the destruction of native bush in Titirangi for a water treatment plant

Commissioners recently granted Watercare resource consent to destroy 3.5ha of native forest in Waima to make way for the replacement Huia Water Treatment Plant despite clear evidence that it will spread kauri dieback disease.

After evaluating the evidence, Auckland Council experts stated that the biosecurity risks posed by this proposal made it a non-starter and recommended that the commissioners DECLINE consent.

Public good does not justify a massive environmental wrong, especially when there are viable alternatives.

We have decided to continue to fight this by appealing to the Environment Court.

It’s time for Watercare to #thinkoutsidetheforest and we're going to make sure they do.

This was moved here from its original home on toko.org.nz

2019-02-24
Public Submission Drop-in Session in Titirangi Village:
Titirangi Protection Group are hosting a drop in session on Saturday 2 March 4-6 pm at Lopdell House, Seminar Room, Level One, 418 Titirangi Rd, Titirangi, Auckland. This is an opportunity for seeking information on the resource consent process or those who just want to discuss the proposed new water treatment plant in general.
You can find the facebook event here
https://www.facebook.com/events/253739675572619/
Watercare are planning on lodging their resource consent application in late March 2019. Watercare have said that this will be publicly notified. Anyone can make a submission within 20 working days once the resource consent application has been publicly notified.
We've done a lot of the hard yards already, gathering information and speaking with experts but if you have any expertise in this area we'd love to meet you!

2018-08-24
The Titirangi Protection Group remain convinced that ecological mitigation of the proposed destruction is neither feasible nor realistic due to the scale and complexity of the affected ecosystems. This kind of infrastructure is made by humans and is exclusively for human use. It is therefore not acceptable to clear any native forest just to make space for it.

We will continue calling on Watercare to reconsider their site selection process and come up with an alternative solution that does not destroy already threatened kauri and our precious native ecosystems.

Join our Facebook Group to keep up to date on new information and how you can use your voice to help stop this proposal:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/TitirangiPG/

2018-08-24
3.6 hectares of forest is proposed to be destroyed. Boffa Miskell have counted a total of 63 mature trees (>20 cm diameter) including
16 kauri of sizes ranging from 22 to 111 cm diameter (average 53 cm, with two trees being larger than 100 cm)
25 kahikatea (22 – 110 cm)
6 rimu (24 – 59 cm)
2 totara (57 and 117 cm)
1 pohutukawa (118 cm)
6 rewarewa (26 – 43 cm)
3 tanekaha (all 47 cm)
3 pukatea (23 – 68 cm)
1 titoki (34 cm).
960 to 1380 kanuka trees
Kauri, kanuka/manuka and pohutukawa are all classified as threatened/nationally vulnerable. Works within the footprint has the potential to result in poor health or failure of adjacent trees due to exposure, root damage, altered drainage etc are not included in the numbers above.
The proposed footprint of the WTP also requires reclamation of a section of the York Stream headwater tributary, resulting in approximately 60 m of intermittent stream loss and 30 m of ephemeral stream loss.

2018-07-11
Two new ecological reports have revealed exactly what Aucklanders will lose if Watercare is allowed to plonk a new treatment plant in Titirangi. The vast majority of the four hectare site has been described as an "endangered forest ecosystem".
"Mayor Phil Goff has described the site as 'mostly scrub and gorse' and that is pure stuff and nonsense," says Belynda Groot from the Titirangi Protection Group, the community organisation trying to stop bulldozers moving into the kauri forest…

READ THE FULL TPG PRESS RELEASE AND ECOLOGICAL REPORTS HERE:
https://protecttitirangi.org/press/

Join the TPG on Facebook for information on how to submit on Resource Consents: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TitirangiPG

2017-10-25
The Titirangi Protection Group and local residents took their case to the Environment Court today. The hearing focused on the meaning and effect of the current designation that covers the 57 hectares site from Scenic Drive to the end of Exhibition Drive.

Watercare argue that designation on the 57 hectares can include erection of structures or associated work relating to water supply purposes including any of the following - laboratories, reservoirs, chemical storage, dams, carparks, roads, plant & machinery, storage depots, sludge dumps, sediment ponds, filtration ponds, offices.

And that it is 100% clear in plain and ordinary words to a plain and reasonable member of the public that it's the purpose of the designation to include these.

We contend that it doesn’t.

The judge gave both sides a full hearing and was robust with his line of questioning. He reserved his decision. The community’s voice must be heard. The fight is not over.

Related links:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/TitirangiPG/
https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/protecttitirangi
https://protecttitirangi.org/