Manurewa Local Board has formally adopted its work programmes which detail proposed activity in different areas over the next three years.
Among the programmes is Infrastructure and Environmental Services, which details $219,000 of spending in the 2021-22 financial year over eight projects.
Board chair Joseph Allan says residents were clear during consultation on the 10-Year Budget that a strong focus on protecting and enhancing the environment should be maintained despite the economic constraints brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We live with the Manukau Harbour on our doorstep, and this waterway and its catchment are critical to all of us, whether we use it for recreation such as fishing, waka ama or swimming, or just enjoy the birdlife and walkways.
“As a board, we have committed more than $20,000 to three projects that will go some way to improving the harbour.
“We have again committed to the Manukau Harbour Forum, we have joined our neighbours from Papakura and Franklin in the Papakura Stream Restoration Project since it flows through all three board areas, we have set budget aside to engage with landowners along the stream, and for maintenance work.”
The largest budget in the work programmes is $60,000 for pest-free urban south initiatives, followed by $50,000 for waste minimisation programmes in the area.
“Our pest programmes need to target species that prey on our birdlife but also pest plants, and it’s widely accepted that we must cut down what we send to landfill. We can’t just produce endless piles of rubbish and truck it somewhere for others to have to deal with.”
The board’s awa restoration programme gets $45,000 and its industrial pollution prevention programme, mainly focused around Wiri, $32,000.
“Every time we have a little success in the area that’s fewer contaminants finding their way into the harbour or getting into the soil,” Allan says.
The board’s work programmes are detailed online here.
