Ending up in court wasn’t on the agenda when Puketāpapa Local Board member Jon Turner took on the role of Manukau Harbour Forum chair.
But that’s what happened when he went into bat for a Te Papapa resident who raised concerns about environmental damage being done as part of a development near the Waikaraka Cycleway.
Turner gave evidence alongside the resident that saw a contractor and the company he was working for fined a combined $87,500 for rubbish contamination and illegal land works.
In his report as chair to the Forum’s business meeting he says he remains grateful for the outstanding work the resident did in documenting what had happened on the site.
“I got some horrific pictures via email of what had taken place and visited the site with the resident.
Trees had been removed and left piled to rot.
“It was shocking to see how much devastation had taken place - massive mangrove clearances, old landfill had been uncovered and pushed into banks and pollution was going straight into the harbour.
Turner called in North Shore Councillor and Planning, Environment and Parks Committee chair Richard Hills and Council’s regulatory team, achieving a stop-work order, abatement notice and some remediation of the most damaging works.
Turner hopes the fine will act as a deterrent against other developers adopting such a careless attitude to working in a coastal environment.
“My thanks goes to the constituent who notified me of what was happening. We all have a role to play and in this case the resident took a real stand, compiling a substantial amount of evidence.”
Walking paths were left buried.
The contractor was fined for twice breaching the Resource Management Act and the company was convicted of five charges after entering a guilty plea in the Environment Court in December.
The Manukau Harbour Forum brings nine local boards that edge the harbour – Franklin, Papapkura, Manurewa, Māngere-Ōtāhuhu, Ōtara-Papatoe, Maungakiekie-Tāmaki, Puketāpapa, Whau and Waitākere – together with Auckland Council, local groups, businesses, communities and iwi to help support and restore the health of the harbour.
Information on the Forum and a report on the state of the harbour are here.
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