Environment

Managing our environment is all about partnerships – we cannot achieve a sustainable region alone.

Over the last year we’ve taken our very popular Take Action for Water education programme to over 1000 school students in 37 classes. We’re nurturing 30 care groups throughout the region where local communities have got together to restore streams, wetlands and dunes.

Greater Wellington also works with businesses and industries, through the Take Charge programme which helps business owners to run their operations more efficiently and help the environment. This year more than 170 businesses, including a large number of service stations and garages, received free check-ups as well as advice on waste, packaging and contaminated sites.

Last year there were 829 applications for resource consents, an increase of 33% on the previous year. Pollution control staff dealt with 1,109 incidents, more than last year.

Greater Wellington is working with private landowners to enhance streams, rivers and wetlands. 306 hectares of remnant lowland and coastal forest, along with wetlands, has been protected under 20 different QEII National Trust covenants. A new programme has seen nearly 40 landowners receive practical advice and assistance in restoring some of the region’s remaining wetlands.

We’re working on 12 priority rivers and streams in the region, as well as trying to find solutions for the region’s six worst waterways, along with implementing the joint action plan to restore Pauatahanui Inlet. We’ve also completed a baseline study of the biodiversity around Wellington harbour and the south coast beaches and estuaries. Greater Wellington monitors air, water and soil quality and is working to identify and clean up contaminated sites and reduce the pollution in stormwater.

Meanwhile, new regional navigation and safety bylaws were approved and have been distributed to those using the region’s harbours and waterways.