DOCSLIB.ORG

Is It Safe to Swim in Porirua?

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Is It Safe to Swim in Porirua? Is it safe to swim in Porirua? Greater Wellington Regional Council and local councils monitor some of the Wellington region’s most popular beaches and rivers to determine their suitability for recreational activities such as swimming. We monitor eleven coastal sites in the Porirua area. The results from this monitoring are compared to national guidelines and used to calculate an overall grade for each site. Results from the 2014/15 summer season Recreational water quality in Porirua is quite variable with most sites having an overall grade of ‘C’. The best sites are at Karehana and Onehunga bays. These sites have an overall grade of ‘B’ and the Karehana Bay site met the guideline for safe swimming on all occasions. The worst sites were at the southern ends of Plimmerton Beach and Titahi Bay, and Te Awarua o Porirua Harbour at the Rowing Club. These sites recorded high bacterial counts on one occasion during the 2014/15 summer and have an overall grade of ‘D’. Very low risk of illness 0% Low risk 18% (2 sites) B Moderate risk 55% C (6 sites) Caution 27% (3 sites) D Unsuitable for swimming 0% In the Porirua area, 2 sites (18%) are graded ‘B’, 6 sites (55%) are graded ‘C’ and 3 sites (27%) are graded ‘D’. WAIT TWO DAYS AFTER RAIN before you swim again… Water quality at Porirua beaches is at its worst after heavy rain. Rain flushes contaminants from urban and rural land into water and we advise people not to swim for two days after heavy rain – even if a site generally has good water quality. In the Porirua area only six of the 200 samples (3%) taken did not meet the guideline and a third of these were associated with rainfall. Is it safe to swim in Porirua? Weekly sampling results and overall grades for sites in the Porirua area 2014/15 summer results Overall assessment† Number of Number of samples Most likely Site Name exceedances Risk of Overall exceeding contamination associated contamination grade* the source with rainfall guideline Pukerua Bay 1 1 Urban stormwater Moderate C Karehana Bay at 0 NA Urban stormwater Moderate B# Cluny Road Plimmerton Beach 2 1 Urban stormwater Moderate C at Bath Street Urban stormwater, South Beach 1 0 potential sewage Moderate D at Plimmerton inputs Pauatahanui Inlet 0 NA Urban stormwater Moderate C at Water Ski Club Pauatahanui Inlet 0 NA Urban stormwater Moderate C at Paremata Bridge Urban stormwater, Porirua Harbour at 1 0 potential sewage Moderate D Rowing Club inputs Onehunga Bay Not sampled in 2014/15** Rural land Low B Titahi Bay at 0 NA Urban stormwater Moderate C Bay Drive Titahi Bay at 0 NA Urban stormwater Moderate C Toms Road Urban stormwater, Titahi Bay at South 1 0 potential sewage Moderate D Beach Access Road inputs † The overall assessment is based on five years of data. * Arrows beside the grade denote whether a grade has increased or decreased from the previous season, ie, # means the grade has improved whereas $ means the grade has declined. ** As water quality at this site is consistently good, weekly sampling is not currently undertaken. The overall grade is based on data collected between 2006 and 2011. For more information on our Recreational Water Quality Programme check out www.gw.govt.nz/is-it-safe-to-swim For further detail on the 2014/15 results check out our report “Is it safe to swim?” at www.gw.govt.nz/Annual-monitoring-reports For information on recreational water quality across New Zealand check out www.lawa.org.nz Publication number: GW/ESCI-G-15/36 June 2015.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Parish with a Mission by Geoff Pryor
    Parish with a Mission By Geoff Pryor Foreword - The Parish Today The train escaping Wellington darts first into one tunnel and then into another long, dark tunnel. Leaving behind the bustle of the city, it bursts into a verdant valley and slithers alongside a steep banked but quiet stream all the way to Porirua. It hurtles through the Tawa and Porirua parishes before pulling into Paremata to empty its passengers on the southern outskirts of the Plimmerton parish. The train crosses the bridge at Paremata with Pauatahanui in the background. There is no sign that the train has arrived anywhere particularly significant. There is no outstanding example of engineering feat or architecture, no harbour for ocean going ships or airport. No university campus holds its youth in place. No football stadium echoes to the roar of the crowd. The whaling days have gone and the totara is all felled. Perhaps once Plimmerton was envisaged as the port for the Wellington region, and at one time there was a proposal to build a coal fired generator on the point of the headland. Nothing came of these ideas. All that passed us by and what we are left with is largely what nature intended. Beaches, rocky outcrops, cliffs, rolling hills and wooded valleys, magnificent sunsets and misted coastline. Inland, just beyond Pauatahanui, the little church of St. Joseph, like a broody white hen nestles on its hill top. Just north of Plimmerton, St. Theresa's church hides behind its hedge from the urgency of the main road north. The present day parish stretches in an L shape starting at Pukerua Bay through to Pauatahanui.
    [Show full text]
  • Caring Deception : Community Art in the Suburbs of Aotearoa
    Copyright is owned by the Author of the thesis. Permission is given for a copy to be downloaded by an individual for the purpose of research and private study only. The thesis may not be reproduced elsewhere without the permission of the Author. Caring Deception: Community art in the suburbs of Aotearoa (New Zealand) A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Fine Arts at Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand. By Tim Barlow 2016 2 Abstract In Aotearoa (New Zealand), community art practice has a disadvantaged status and a poorly documented national history. This thesis reinvigorates the theory and practice of community art and cultural democracy using adaptable and context-specific analyses of the ways that aesthetics and ethics can usefully co-exist in practices of social change. The community art projects in this thesis were based in four suburbs lying on the economic and spatial fringes of Aotearoa. Over 4 years, I generated a comparative and iterative methodology challenging major binaries of the field, including: ameliorative vs. disruptive; coloniser vs. colonised; instrumental vs. instrumentalised; and long term vs. short term. This thesis asserts that these binaries create a series of impasses that drive the practice towards two new artistic categories, which I define as caring deception and the facade. All the projects I undertook were situated in contested space, where artists working with communities overlapped with local and national governments aiming for CBD and suburban re-vitalisation, creative city style initiatives, community development, grassroots creative projects, and curated public-art festivals.
    [Show full text]
  • Annual Coastal Monitoring Report for the Wellington Region, 2009/10
    Annual coastal monitoring report for the Wellington region, 2009/10 Environment Management Annual coastal monitoring report for the Wellington region, 2009/10 J. R. Milne Environmental Monitoring and Investigations Department For more information, contact Greater Wellington: Wellington GW/EMI-G-10/164 PO Box 11646 December 2010 T 04 384 5708 F 04 385 6960 www.gw.govt.nz www.gw.govt.nz [email protected] DISCLAIMER This report has been prepared by Environmental Monitoring and Investigations staff of Greater Wellington Regional Council and as such does not constitute Council’s policy. In preparing this report, the authors have used the best currently available data and have exercised all reasonable skill and care in presenting and interpreting these data. Nevertheless, Council does not accept any liability, whether direct, indirect, or consequential, arising out of the provision of the data and associated information within this report. Furthermore, as Council endeavours to continuously improve data quality, amendments to data included in, or used in the preparation of, this report may occur without notice at any time. Council requests that if excerpts or inferences are drawn from this report for further use, due care should be taken to ensure the appropriate context is preserved and is accurately reflected and referenced in subsequent written or verbal communications. Any use of the data and information enclosed in this report, for example, by inclusion in a subsequent report or media release, should be accompanied by an acknowledgement of the source. The report may be cited as: Milne, J. 2010. Annual coastal monitoring report for the Wellington region, 2009/10.
    [Show full text]
  • GROUNDUP CAFÉ SUBMISSION - ADDENDUM by Pauatahanui Residents Association
    GROUNDUP CAFÉ SUBMISSION - ADDENDUM by Pauatahanui Residents Association This paper is prepared for the Pauatahanui Residents Association’s oral Submission to the Hearing on the GroundUp Cafe’s retrospective application for Resource Consent to legalise building extensions and additional Cafe seating capacity from 35 to 65. This updates our original submission of February 2014 , and includes responses to subsequent information received from the applicant and Porirua City Council and since our original submission was made some issues have changed. TERMS USED IN THIS DOCUMENT GroundUp Café (the Café ) Rural Trading Post (the Trading Post ) Pauatahanui General Store (the Store ) Porirua City Council ( PCC ) Pauatahanui Residents Association ( PRA ) BACKGROUND • The PRA is: o A voluntary organization started as an Incorporated society in 1975. o A registered charity 1 since June 2008 o Its objectives include 3a) to maintain or improve the community and its environment for all residents while preserving its rural character and scenery. • There are approximately 300 households in the Pauatahanui area. The Association currently has 57 paid up member households. It has 177 people registered on its mailing list for monthly newsletters or notices. Newsletters are also circulated to other groups who distribute them more widely to their members. Notices and newsletters are also posted on PRA’s website 2. PRA’s original submission has been available on this website since February 2014. 1 Registered Charity Number CC42516 2 www.pauatahanui.org.nz Pauatahanui Residents Association (PRA) Version: 17/11/2014 - Page 1 Application on GroundUp Café Submission (Addendum) – Lot 1 DP7316 at 15 Paekakariki Hill Road, Pauatahanui • In addition, PRA uses the Rural Delivery to periodically share information or invite comment on important issues sent out as a community notice to all 300 households.
    [Show full text]
  • Historical Snapshot of Porirua
    HISTORICAL SNAPSHOT OF PORIRUA This report details the history of Porirua in order to inform the development of a ‘decolonised city’. It explains the processes which have led to present day Porirua City being as it is today. It begins by explaining the city’s origins and its first settlers, describing not only the first people to discover and settle in Porirua, but also the migration of Ngāti Toa and how they became mana whenua of the area. This report discusses the many theories on the origin and meaning behind the name Porirua, before moving on to discuss the marae establishments of the past and present. A large section of this report concerns itself with the impact that colonisation had on Porirua and its people. These impacts are physically repre- sented in the city’s current urban form and the fifth section of this report looks at how this development took place. The report then looks at how legislation has impacted on Ngāti Toa’s ability to retain their land and their recent response to this legislation. The final section of this report looks at the historical impact of religion, particularly the impact of Mormonism on Māori communities. Please note that this document was prepared using a number of sources and may differ from Ngati Toa Rangatira accounts. MĀORI SETTLEMENT The site where both the Porirua and Pauatahanui inlets meet is called Paremata Point and this area has been occupied by a range of iwi and hapū since at least 1450AD (Stodart, 1993). Paremata Point was known for its abundant natural resources (Stodart, 1993).
    [Show full text]
  • 12 Schedules Schedules 12 Schedules
    12 Schedules 12 Schedules 12 Schedules 12 Schedules contents Schedule Page number Schedule A: Outstanding water bodies A1-A3 279 Schedule B: Ngā Taonga Nui a Kiwa B 281 Schedule C: Sites with significant mana whenua values C1-C5 294 Schedule D: Statutory Acknowledgements D1-D2 304 Schedule E: Sites with significant historic heritage values E1-E5 333 Schedule F: Ecosystems and habitats with significant indigenous biodiversity values F1-F5 352 Schedule G: Principles to be applied when proposing and considering mitigation and G 407 offsetting in relation to biodiversity Schedule H: Contact recreation and Māori customary use H1-H2 410 Schedule I: Important trout fishery rivers and spawning waters I 413 Schedule J: Significant geological features in the coastal marine area J 415 Schedule K: Significant surf breaks K 418 Schedule L: Air quality L1-L2 420 Schedule M: Community drinking water supply abstraction points M1-M2 428 Schedule N: Stormwater management strategy N 431 Schedule O: Plantation forestry harvest plan O 433 Schedule P: Classifying and managing groundwater and surface water connectivity P 434 Schedule Q: Reasonable and efficient use criteria Q 436 Schedule R: Guideline for stepdown allocations R 438 Schedule S: Guideline for measuring and reporting of water takes S 439 Schedule T: Pumping test T 440 Schedule U:Trigger levels for river and stream mouth cutting U 442 PROPOSED NATURAL RESOURCES PLAN FOR THE WELLINGTON REGION (31.07.2015) 278 Schedule A: Outstanding water bodies Schedule A1: Rivers with outstanding indigenous ecosystem
    [Show full text]
  • Paremata Village Plan 2012
    Paremata Village Plan 2012 1 Introduction It’s my very great pleasure to introduce this first edition of the Paremata Village Plan, covering the suburbs of Paremata (which now includes Mana) and Papakowhai. Our plan has been developed in accordance with the Porirua City Council (PCC) Village Planning Programme, an award-winning Council initiative to improve and develop Porirua’s suburban communities through work programmes developed in partnership with the people of those communities. For further information on the Village Planning Programme please go to the PCC Website www.pcc.govt.nz and search under Community, Village Planning. I would like to thank on your behalf the PCC Villages Programme manager Ian Barlow and his team for all the work they have done to get this plan off the ground. My thanks in particular to Jenny Lester, who has been our liaison person and has taken on most of the development work including running surveys of residents to build a picture of what we want our ‘village’ to look like in future. A huge thank you to the 300+ residents who participated in the concept, development, content and comments used in this plan. Here is our template for that vision, now it’s up to us all to contribute to making that vision a reality. Terry Knight President Paremata Residents Association Vision Statement Paremata – where community and environment are in harmony, protecting the best of what we have and embracing the best of what’s new. About Paremata The area covered by the Paremata Residents Association takes in several suburbs; Paremata, Papakowhai, Mana and a section of Camborne.
    [Show full text]
  • Is It Safe to Swim in Porirua?
    PORIRUA RECREATIONAL WATER QUALITY MONITORING RESULTS FOR THE 2017/18 SUMMER IS IT SAFE TO SWIM IN PORIRUA? Caution! Don’t swim after rain Recreational water quality in Porirua is variable and depends on the site. Most sites have an overall grade of B or C, but two sites are graded D. The worst sites in this area are at Plimmerton and in the Onepoto arm of Te Awarua-o-Porirua Harbour. Previous investigations have identified human sewage as a source of contamination in these areas, however inspections of the sewer network by Wellington Water have not fully identified the specific sources. Plimmerton Beach and the areas of the harbour near the Waka Ama and Rowing clubs remain susceptible to faecal contamination and can experience high bacterial levels even in dry weather conditions. The unpredictably of water quality at these sites means caution should be taken at all times. Pukerua Bay Key A – Very low risk of illness 8% (1 site) B – Low risk of illness 42% (5 sites) Plimmerton C – Caution advised 33% (4 sites) D – Sometimes* unsuitable for swimming 17% (2 sites) Te Awarua o Porirua Titahi Bay Harbour Whitby *Sites that are graded D tend to be significantly affected by rainfall and should be avoided for at least 48hrs after it has rained. However water quality at these sites may be safe for swimming for much of the Porirua rest of the time. Tawa Greater Wellington Regional Council, along with In Porirua: your local city council, monitors 12 coastal sites in the Porirua area. The results from this monitoring 1 site is 4 sites are are compared to national guidelines and used graded A graded C to calculate an overall Microbial Assessment Category (MAC) grade for each site.
    [Show full text]
  • Paremata Residents Association Presentation to TGP Board of Inquiry – 6 March 2012
    Paremata Residents Association Presentation to TGP Board of Inquiry – 6 March 2012 1. My name is Russell Morrison and I am the Vice-President of the Paremata Residents Association which covers an area of about 2,100 households encompassing Papakowhai, Paremata, Golden Gate, Mana and part of Camborne. I have lived in residences right next to the Pauatahanui Inlet and used the harbour in many different ways since the age of two when my family moved to Browns Bay in January 1950. 2. Our Association strongly supports the TGP and has been prepared to go to the Environment Court on three occasions in the past to ensure, directly or indirectly, that TGP stayed on the books. We are asking, however, that the Board consider imposing conditions in a number of areas. Adverse Impacts on the Harbour 3. Our submission mentions our concerns about the harbour but does not go into much detail, opting instead simply to endorse the recommendations of the Pauatahanui Inlet Community Trust (PICT) entirely. I would like to elaborate on our views here. - Sedimentation 4. Quite a number of our members have lived next to the Porirua Harbour for many years. We recall the controversy when the initial Whitby subdivision was pouring sediment out onto the beach opposite what is now Postgate Drive. Many still mention the promises about retaining tidal flows when the highway was extended and the lagoons created between Porirua and Paremata. We remember the learned debates which took place when the National Roads Board proposed putting a 6 lane motorway on a causeway along the Dolly Varden beach and up through Camborne.
    [Show full text]
  • Porirua City Walking and Cycling Tracks Brochure
    Porirua Pathfinder Looking for a flat pathway that is near a cafe? TRACK 5 and Walking A path suitable for a dog and a wheelchair? A challenging or easy cycle track? When using our pathways remember to > Protect plants & wildlife Cycling Tracks Use our Porirua Pathfinder to find your ideal path. > Remove rubbish > Keep to the track in Porirua City TRACK 38 Go to “www.poriruapathfinder.co.nz” > Consider other people > Clean up after your dog Explore CODE OF CONDUCT FOR SHARED PATHWAYS Shared paths are used by cyclists, walkers, joggers and pushchairs. To help everyone enjoy themselves please Porirua City follow the Code of Conduct for shared pathways. With its beautiful coastline, bush clad hills and parks, Porirua City offers a wealth of wonderful walks and 1. Keep Left: As far as practical, except when passing an- other user going your direction (pass on the right). Go cycle tracks. Whether you’re a fitness enthusiast who in single file when other users are present. Step off the loves a challenge or someone who simply enjoys a path when stopping. stroll, there’s a walking track that’s right for you. 2. Consider Others: Control your speed, slow down and use caution when approaching or overtaking other us- Rock hop along the Porirua coast and see the fabulous ers. Look behind when changing positions. Cyclists use Marlborough Sounds at sunset. Spot the rare wildfowl in hand signals. Don’t assume others can see or hear you. our bird sanctuary, or see how the whitebait are running. Follow the footsteps of the famous Te Rauparaha and his 3.
    [Show full text]
  • Te Awarua-O- Porirua Whaitua Implementation Programme
    Te Awarua-o- Porirua Whaitua Implementation Programme Te Awarua-o-Porirua Whaitua Committee, April 2019 Front cover: Image of Porirua Harbour looking south Te Awarua-o-Porirua Whaitua process is the collaborative discussion on the future of our streams and rivers, the water that connects us, the land and our communities, and how we manage and protect our natural resources. Stu Farrant Te Awarua-o-Porirua Whaitua Committee Chair Foreword from Te Awarua-o-Porirua Whaitua Committee Chair Like most areas of New Zealand, the communities within the Te Awarua-o-Porirua catchment have been defined by their intimate relationship with water. Early Māori established kāinga (villages) to utilise transformation of the catchment has been a steady the abundant mahinga kai (food harvested from decline in the quality of fresh and coastal waters and the streams, estuary and land) and other resources, the health of ecosystems. Contaminants are flushed travel routes and to seek protection from invaders. from urban and rural land and aging infrastructure Early European development rapidly spread struggles to serve the demands of a growing along the catchment’s streams and relied on the population, with overflows of wastewater a common reclamation of tidal margins for rail and road links occurrence during large rainfall events. These water and the development of what later became Porirua’s quality issues, coupled with extensive infilling and town centre and Elsdon. As the population grew, reclamation, have resulted in the severance of infrastructure was developed to drain stormwater and communities from the once abundant waterways and wastewater and protect the growing communities food and other resources they provided.
    [Show full text]
  • Porirua – Our Place, Our Future, Our Challenge Let's Kōrero
    COPYRIGHT © You are free to copy, distribute and adapt the work, as long as you attribute the work to Porirua City Council. Published March 2021. Porirua City Council 16 Cobham Court PO Box 50218 Porirua 5240 This document is available on our website poriruacity.govt.nz Porirua – our place, our future, our challenge Let’s kōrero Consultation Document for the proposed Long-term Plan 2021-51 Message from Ngāti Toa Rangatira E te iwi e noho nei i te riu o Porirua, tēnā koutou katoa The development of the city's Long-term Plan 2021-2051 will bring changes to our city that we will be proud of. Between now and 2051 we will see Porirua transform into a vibrant and exciting place to be for residents and people who choose to work here. We are blessed with hills, waterways, Te Mana o Kupe bushwalks and two magnificent harbours, Porirua and Pāuatahanui, as well as rich histories all anchored by Te Matahourua, the anchor left here by Kupe. As a challenge to all of us – we must look after our environment and look after each other, especially our tamariki and rangatahi. Nou te rourou, naku te rourou ka ora ai te Iwi With your contribution, and my contribution the people will thrive Taku Parai Chairman, Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Toa Rangatira 2 Consultation Document for the proposed LTP 2021-51 Contents Mai i tō Koutou Koromatua 4 From your Mayor Executive summary 8 Rates 10 The challenges for our city 11 Your views 16 Investment in the 3 waters – drinking water, wastewater 17 & stormwater 1.
    [Show full text]