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Anita Baker (Mayoral candidate)
1. What are the challenges facing the harbour and its catchments?
Our harbour is a top priority for the current council. In the past three years we have:
Significantly increased the investment in our wastewater infrastructure including upgrades to the wastewater treatment plant, improvements in the wastewater network that takes wastewater to the plant, a proposed new tank to handle the increased capacity in heavy rain events, and investment in a roving drainage crew to identify faults in the private and public network. This combined investment reduces the incidents of overflows into our harbour and coastal environment.
We have developed a 20-year riparian planting programme that will improve water quality by filtering run-off in our high priority catchments.
We have installed a new wetland at Elsdon that strips toxins such as coliforms and heavy metals from stormwater run-off. These natural solutions will be more and more a feature of our investment.
2. What are your priorities for protecting and enhancing the quality of the harbour and its catchments, particularly its streams, wetlands and contributing watercourses?
Tightened up our enforcement approach so that we can control sediment issues at source with restrictions over new development - this involves a stronger bylaw and more enforcement action. We have made changes to our proposed District Plan to ensure that the right controls are in place for land-use, earthworks and new development including water-sensitive design and nature-based solutions.
3. What will you do about these challenges and priorities if you're elected?
Considering an improved governance arrangement with key organisations (Ngāti Toa, Greater Wellington Regional Council, Wellington City Council) recognising the place of community organisations with a long history of advocacy for our harbour (including PHT and Sustainable Coastlines). My aim is to restore the harbour and its catchments to health. I think we've made a good start.
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