Source: Radio New Zealand
A rāhui is in place on the southern coast from Ōwhiro Bay to Breaker Bay, which covers anything the water touches or can touch with the high or low tides. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
The Wellington mayor says the current blanket direction for people to stay off all south coast beaches is not sustainable when test results show little risk, and is hinting at a possible change of policy.
There was a major sewage spill earlier this month – the city’s southern coast has been off limits since the Moa Point treatment plant failed catastrophically, pumping millions of litres of untreated sewage into the sea.
There is currently a rāhui in place on the southern coast from Ōwhiro Bay to Breaker Bay, which covers anything the water touches or can touch with the high or low tides.
Public health advice has been that people should not swim, surf, dive, fish, collect kai moana, walk dogs along the shore until further notice.
Mayor Andrew Little said the city and regional councils, Wellington Water and public health officials were now getting a picture of the level of risk, with nearly three weeks of monitoring of the impact of the untreated sewage being discharged into the Cook Strait on south coast beaches.
“We wanted to see what happened with the storm last weekend. We’ve worked our way through that and we’re showing good results in terms of a little or no contamination.
“On that basis, what we are looking at being able to say to people is: ‘here are the results, this is what it shows, the risk is pretty low, you make your own decision about whether you want to go onto the beach and and have a swim in the sea’.”
Little said they would also look at having a place where people could go daily to get an update on the risk and factors that could affect it on any given day.
“We can’t keep telling people just to stay away from the beach, stay away from the sea and producing testing results that show little or no risk.”
Little said they had to be practical and realistic.
“It is summertime, this is a beautiful part of Wellington to go to and if there is little or no risk, then let people make the decision about whether they want to use the amenity.”
Little said some risk remained near the outfall pipe, which could be used again.
“But in terms of [places] like Lyall Bay, Princess Bay, Houghton Bay, Island Bay, Ōwhiro Bay the testing results are showing little or no risk.”
Little said they had also had “good discussions” with iwi representatives about the current rāhui.
“They will continue to maintain a position that the health of the sea is at risk.
“But they’re clear to me that that doesn’t affect the public health advice we give about going onto the beaches and having a swim in the in the on the beaches.”
Health New Zealand directed RNZ’s requests for comment to the Wellington City Council and Wellington Water.
RNZ has contacted Wellington Water, the regional council, and Wellington iwi Taranaki Whānui ki te Upoko o te Ika.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
