Bay Harbour: August 03, 2016

PAGE 4 BAY HARBOUR
Wednesday August 3 2016
Your Local Views
ews
FORWARD THINKING: If you are building a house, you can put
up silt fences to block sediment from getting into waterways.
Start ashion preparing now
for major storms
Banks
Peninsula
Water Zone
Committee
chairman Steve
Gardening
Lowndes says
we need to
start preparing
for any storms that might
come our way
THERE IS not much that we
didn’t already know from the
latest climate change projections
otoring
released by the Ministry for the
Environment. What is new, however,
is experts are more certain
of their predictions.
They are certain Canterbury
is going to experience more prolonged
dry periods, more wind
and more intense storms. Banks
Peninsula has experienced all of
these conditions in recent years,
asty Bites
and we need to be prepared.
It’s great to see the Little River
community looking toward the
future and preparing for these
weather events. Through the
Little River Flood Rating District
programme, the community
has collectively invested in the
clearance of the old willows and
debris which have accumulated
oney
in the Okana and Okuti rivers.
Storms not only flood the area
but also release large quantities
of sediment into our rivers and
harbours. Sediment from the
volcanic rocks of the peninsula
contains high quantities of
phosphorous causing bacteria
blooms such as the one that
plagued Lake Forsyth/Wairewa
this summer. It also makes it
difficult for any fish, cockles,
whitebait etc to thrive in our
streams and harbours.
We haven’t had a major storm
this season but no doubt we will.
I really encourage you to start
preparing now. Some things you
can do include:
• Cover bare ground. Soil is
susceptible to wind and rain
which could potentially wash
it down into the water. You can
help prevent this by planting
shrubs or native species to provide
some stability to the soil.
• If you are building a house,
control erosion by putting up silt
fences or filter socks which block
sediment from getting into rivers
and streams
• Make sure heavy stock are
kept away from waterways.
Reducing the amount of
sediment getting into our
streams and harbours will take
a whole lot of small actions by a
whole lot of people.
But by working together with
our friends and neighbours, we
can really make a difference.
You can phone the city council
on 941 8999 and Environment
Canterbury on 366 4663 if you
see something that needs fixing.
Bay Harbour News asked its
readers what they thought
safety fences on parts of
Main Rd and Wakefield Ave
should look like.
Joanne Parker: Would you
be able to explain why a fence is
needed? Is this part of the Health
and Safety Act 2016?
My thoughts were that signs
saying hazard area would be
sufficient. We have a picket fence
(waist height) with a “hazard
area” sign between Wiggins and
Nayland Sts, where Scarborough
Rock is thought to crumble based
on the seismic measurements, in
the future.
I wondered how this area was
different to the Main Rd, Moa
Bone Point and Shag Rock? In
the event of a strong natural
disaster a fence would not be of
use. Currently the hazard area at
the end of Wiggins St is used for
walking dogs and as a dog play
area, and as a public shortcut
access. Otherwise, it appears very
empty from humans.
I would like to know the exact
fence idea rationale, please. It did
seem capitalist and excessive to
make a fence 2m. Society is not
currently living with that type
of understanding that the city
council has funding for things
that are not immediately prioritised
for the benefit of disadvantaged
or marginalised groups.
Green MP Eugenie
Sage
CONGRATULATIONS
to Eastern Vision for
organising the recent
“Joining the Dots”
workshop for people to share
proposals for the future use
of the Avon/Ōtākaro River
residential red zone.
Government planning for extravagant
anchor projects such as
the convention centre has denied
citizens any meaningful say on
the form of large parts of the central
city. The future of the 430ha
red zone is a chance for citizens
to help shape a more resilient city
and create a positive legacy from
the earthquakes.
Paving in the eastern suburbs for
low decile areas is more humanistic
behaviour I would expect
from a council and immediately
equates to sensible “safety” as opposed
to “safety fencing”.
Judy Stack: I think the
fencing should be pool type at
1.2m high.
A reader responds
to last week’s article
regarding littering and dog
faeces issues at Lyttelton
Recreation Ground.
Joanne Dunningham: As a
regular visitor to this amazing
part of New Zealand, I was
shocked to read an article in
Bay Harbour News (July 27,
2016) under the heading of Sport
ground rubbish problems.
This article was relating to the
problem of the Lyttelton sports
and recreation ground and it
constantly being fouled by dogs
defecating and weeing all over it.
I was equally shocked to read
the comment by Mrs Smith;
“There has been a problem on
the field for a long time but it’s
one of the only flat, open spaces
in Lyttelton for dogs”. So this is
acceptable for the dogs to do this
all over the field because it’s the
only flat open space in Lyttelton!
The children then go and play
sport on it or just play on it? Am
An 18,000 signature
petition has already been
presented to Parliament
supporting an Avon/
Ōtākaro River Park.
Workshop presentations
included recreating the kahikatea
and matai forests
and wetlands which once existed
alongside the river, a 150ha predator
proof eco-sanctuary linked
to Travis Wetland, a network
of separated cycle and walking
paths, a range of food growing
enterprises to increase food
security, an arts trail, a New Zealand
version of Cornwall’s Eden
Project, a white water kayaking
course and a flatwater sports
lake. Others were as simple as ensuring
new development avoids
I missing something?
I understand that it is a town
with very little grass areas, but
the children need to come first
before the dogs I would think?
How disgusting that the Lyttelton
Rugby Club staff have to
clean up the field before play can
begin for the children.
Out walking with my
granddaughter in Lyttelton, I
have to tell her constantly to
watch out for dog poo on the
footpaths. On a recent Saturday
trip to the Lyttelton Market, I
followed a dog on a leash and its
owner into a stall only to watch
the dog lick every piece of fruit
and vegetable (organic) that it
could reach until I alerted the
owner to what was happening.
The owner wasn’t that bothered
and I almost felt slightly out of
order for mentioning it! I am a dog
lover (yes I am) I have a beautiful
little fox terrier, and whenever we
take her out we have plastic bags
with us and we clean up after her.
I stop and talk to overseas visitors
out walking all the time around
Lyttelton and the amazing and
special coastline of the peninsula
and I feel embarrassed about
what they must think when they
visit and see dog poo all over the
footpaths and walking tracks.
Come on you lazy people, pick
up after your dogs and have a bit
of pride in your community and
our country.
River park in red zone beneficial
light pollution so we can enjoy
the stars in a dark night sky.
The value of having part of
Otautahi/Christchurch which is
recognisably in Aotearoa/New
Zealand with thriving indigenous
habitats and native plants and
wildlife was noted. So were the
health benefits of easy access to
walking and cycling paths; more
trees for improving air quality,
and natural wetlands to trap sediment,
filter urban stormwater and
reduce flood flows.
Retaining much of the residential
red zone as open space
would help reduce flood risk by
absorbing rainwater (rather than
generating stormwater as hard
surfaces do), and allowing ponding
areas.
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