Wairau waters workshop
The Heart of the Shore Team attended the Restoring Wairau Estuary public workshop on 10 August, run by Auckland Council's Wai-Ora Healthy Waters. The workshop heard Auckland Council's Safeswim manager Nick Vigar talk openly about the complexities his team face to improve the water quality of our beaches. Nick was genuinely positive about the resources his team is receiving to achieve that.
Around 50 concerned and members from the community attended and challenged Council on the measures being taken at Castor Bay, Takapuna, and Milford beaches. There weren't specific questions about Narrowneck and Cheltenaham beaches but The Flagstaff, who attended the workshop, has carried on that part of the story here, comparing safe swimability and the focus to ensure reliable and timely information for beach users: https://issuu.com/devonport…/…/2019sept6devonportflagstaff/8
A key concern from the workshop was pollutants entering the Wairau estuary from the Glenfield catchment area. Obviously improving the water quality of our natural areas is something everyone was focussed on but there were many differing ideas were offered on the priorities to achieve that.