Simple solution for climate change

Queen Elizabeth Park under water after extensive rain.

Restoring some of the Wellington region's key wetlands would be a simple and highly effective weapon against climate change, a Kapiti environmentalist believes.

Russell Bell, of Waikanae, who is also chairman of the Friends of Queen Elizabeth Park, was responding to Greater Wellington Regional Council chairman Chris Laidlaw's warning about the effects of climate change on the region following a Niwa report and the need to take action at a local level.

Mr Bell said GWRC had been told that Queen Elizabeth Park (QEP) had significant potential as a carbon sink but had chosen to ignore that; only 2-3 percent of Wellington's original wetlands remained.

Much of the park originally consisted of wetlands but they were drained decades ago and converted to farmland.

GWRC leases that farmland to Wairarapa-based Beetham Pastural Ltd.

"In QEP, GWRC allows farming on previously drained wetlands that have peat soils.
"Not only are they less productive because of their acidic nature but these soils, when drained, oxidise and actually produce carbon dioxide."

Large flat areas alongside SH1 just south of Raumati were the best example, he said.

"They are dish-shaped and, if not drained, would turn into magnificent wetlands and wetland carbon sinks are some of the best carbon-dioxide absorbers in the world.

"GWRC is about halfway through a process of reinstating the drainage system through the Raumati wetlands and it is probably the ratepayers who are paying to have it drained while Mr Laidlaw urges others to take climate change seriously."

Mr Bell made a submission on behalf of the Friends of Queen Elizabeth Park to GWRC when it called for public input on climate change.

His submission said GWRC could show climate-change leadership by retiring wetlands as potential carbon sinks on land it owned or administered and identified the Raumati wetlands as a prime example.

"This fell on deaf ears," Mr Bell said.

"Other wetlands in the park have been identified as worthy of retirement by consultants hired by GWRC but the Raumati wetlands would be very significant because they would add an area of considerable size to Wellington region's small wetland area.

"Because of their size, the Raumati wetlands would make a worthwhile contribution to climate change at little or no cost."

- Kapiti News