Council Engaging In Environmental Vandalism

At the monthly public meeting of the Pakuranga Community Board on Monday 14th September, the Community Board failed to secure the environmental heritage of a valuable local inlet and instead voted to endorse a recommendation for clearing native trees from the area. The Community Board had been asked by Manukau City Parks (MCP) to select an option for providing an access path along the western side of the Kerswill Inlet which borders on the Panmure Marina. MCP had pushed for an option to remove nearly all vegetation, including many identified native trees, from the area and replace them with a 2m wide concrete path so as to provide indirect access to the Rotary Walkway planned extension.

Despite several submissions and presentations from local residents that highlighted the environmental value of the inlet, no option for protecting the environment was put forward by MCP. It was left to Community Board member Mike Padfield to table an amendment at the meeting recommending that the Kerswill Inlet be considered for protection as a special conservation area – a suggestion supported through legislation under the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park Act 2000. Councillor David Collins supported this amendment however Councillor Dick Quax vociferously opposed this suggestion and stated that Council could “do whatever it wanted to” with Council land – including felling native trees. This led to the amendment being defeated by 4 votes to 3 – splitting the Community Board and leaving residents astonished by the apparent short-sightedness of the Board.

The Kerswill Inlet has been left untouched for decades and this has lead to the creation of an environmental jewel in the Pakuranga ward. When the wider area is considered, the Kerswill Inlet represents the last untouched inlet along the Tamaki Estuary and supports a wide variety of native and exotic flora and fauna. Since the proposed development of the Rotary Walkway does not require any access along Kerswill Inlet, residents had asked the Community Board to show environmental leadership and take the opportunity to preserve and enrich the Inlet for current and future generations.

The Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society had previously exposed to the Board the serious and detrimental effect to the Inlet that opening up any access to public and dogs would cause. However in an apparent collusion between Councillor Quax and MCP, these representations were openly dismissed at the meeting by MCP who referred to a number of studies that had been commissioned by MCP that stated there was no special value attached to the inlet.

What was not openly stated by MCP at the meeting was the fact that the studies referred to had explicitly excluded Kerswill Inlet from their scope – in effect ignoring the Inlet from studies used to justify its destruction. Plans previously presented by MCP clearly highlighted where native trees will be felled as part of the development.

In an era when environmental leadership is needed to secure the legacy we leave for our children, the decision of the Community Board and MCP is tantamount to environmental vandalism.

ENDS

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