Ponds' eels will get moving expenses

By Amie Hicklandamie.hickland@age.co.nz

Masterton District councillors have agreed to support the relocation of the eel population in Masterton's Homebush sewage ponds when the multimillion-dollar upgrade is complete - with reservations about the most expensive option.

Councillors agreed to support five out of the six recommendations presented to them in a report at the policy and finance committee meeting on Wednesday. The options included installing an eel ladder, or coarse matting, and a connecting pipe between the ponds, and a fall-back option of trapping and transferring the eels, potentially to a new location if the new ponds were an unsuitable environment. The costs ranged from estimates of $12,000 to $35,000.

Although the councillors supported the idea in principle, they would reconsider option four - trapping and relocating the eels to other locations at a cost of $35,000 - if it was needed.

Assets and operations manager David Hopman said they had been working with local iwi Ngati Kahungunu ki Wairarapa and Rangitane o Wairarapa to come up with options. Councillor Graham McClymont said the lower cost options were reasonable: "I'm really, really pleased it is getting managed well."

Councillors Jane Terpstra and Chris Peterson were more conservative about committing to the options. "I just don't think we should agree to commit $35,000 at this point in time," said Mrs Terpstra.

Ngati Kahungunu ki Wairarapa representative Ra Smith was at the meeting and spoke to councillors and explained the eels' significance to Wairarapa Maori.

The eel population is estimated to be about 85,000. The inflows from the old ponds are expected to be diverted to the new ponds in April.