The Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local Board area has some of the most beautiful natural landscapes in Auckland, but it has also experienced serious environmental harm.
Local board chair Lemauga Lydia Sosene says it is for this reason that protecting the natural environment is one of the local board’s top priorities.
“We want to preserve and enhance this area because the environment is an important part of our heritage and the better we care for our beautiful parks, streams and coastlines, the more enjoyable they will be for us all to use.”
This year the board has allocated $214,000 for the upcoming local environment work programme, representing a 34 per cent increase in funding compared to last year.
This programme includes a pest-free initiative at Ihumatao, the restoration of the Pūkaki Crater, remedial work at Oruarangi and Tararata Creek, the Healthy Rentals initiative, environmental education programmes in schools, and building community capacity for resource recovery.
Lemauga Lydia Sosene says despite the great work being done, fly-tipping continues to be a blight in many parks and reserves.
“One of the big issues in the area is illegal dumping, particularly in Ihumatao but it’s occurring right across Māngere and Ōtahuhu,” she says
“To combat this issue our local board funds a number of initiatives, but even with extensive CCTV coverage and security firms patrolling certain areas, people continue to illegally dump their waste.
“That is why we applaud the work of volunteers across our area who are helping us combat this issue and we want to urge everyone to play their part, whether it’s reporting illegal dumping via the Mayor’s new hotline 0800 NO DUMP or just making sure you reduce the amount of waste you’re throwing away.
“We can all do our bit because every little action counts.”
