Horowhenua District Council to spend $100,000 on Shannon’s polluted Ōtauru Stream

Journalist·Horowhenua Chronicle·

20 Jun, 2024 05:00 PM3 mins to read

Laura Fisher pictured working on the Te Maire Lagoon riparian planting project near Shannon.

Horowhenua District Council will work with local iwi Ngāti Whakatere to restore the health of the Ōtauru Stream after years of pollution because of its proximity to the Shannon Wastewater Treatment Plant.

HDC will spend $100,000 on a riparian planting project over the next five years. It is also applying for external funding.

The water quality in the stream and ecosystem was negatively impacted by wastewater discharge from the Shannon Water Treatment plant, a practice which began in the 1970s and stopped in 2016.

The Ōtauru Stream Riparian Planting project aimed to improve the water quality and ecosystem of the stream, home to giant kōkopu, tuna (eels), whitebait and freshwater crayfish.

More than 7500 native plants will be planted in stages alongside a 1.7km stretch of the stream in the next few years involving groups and organisations in community planting initiatives.

HDC chief executive Monique Davidson said the council didn’t have the science and knowledge it now has when the treatment plant opened.

Horowhenua District Council chief executive Monique Davidson.

Discharging wastewater directly into waterways had previously been an accepted practice in Aotearoa New Zealand and Horowhenua was no exception.

“We are saddened that the stream deteriorated, but are committed to putting this right. Working with Ngāti Whakatere, Horizons Regional Council and other community groups, we are united in creating a cleaner environment and better future for our tamariki,” she said.

“Ngāti Whakatere has led a number of successful ecological projects in Shannon, and we look forward to working with them to restore the Ōtauru Stream. We get a lot of value working with all our Iwi partners.”

Horowhenua mayor Bernie Wanden said enhancing waterways benefited communities who use water for drinking, recreational, aesthetic, ecological and cultural activities.

“We are proud to work with Ngāti Whakatere to better understand hapū history and considerations as we work together on this project. Working with iwi and hapū underpins good freshwater management, and we are grateful for their guidance and sharing of knowledge to benefit our hāpori,” he said.

“Our community will help with planting, Green By Nature will monitor plant survival and growth, and Horizons Regional Council will work on other areas of the stream. Some of this work will take place on private land, and I’d like to publicly acknowledge landowners allowing us access to their property to undertake this mahi.”

Riparian zones, strips of land beside drains, streams, rivers and lakes where the soil is the wettest, filter nutrients, sediment and bacteria that leave the land as runoff.

Aspiring ecologists at local schools will be involved in the planting and water testing as they learn the importance and mana of protecting our waterways.

The initial phase of the project will focus on clearing out invasive plants, decaying trees and non-native trees that could threaten nearby infrastructure and the stream’s health. This work is scheduled to start in the winter.

In order to maximise the success of introducing native plants through the project, it is important to prepare the ground. Suitable mulch from felled trees will be used at Te Maire Park.