HOROWHENUA LAKE ACCORD SIGNUP 2013

THE Manawatu standard said on 5th August 2013 the signing being a "mockery"

LAKE ACCORD PROCESS DATE AUGUST 4TH 2013

Five groups were invited to take part in the Lake Horowhenua Accord but this needs to be extended as even the majority of the 1511 + owners have no say nor allowed to voice their opinions and it is their land. The 5 have a different role in the lake's management yet there has been no indication on the management structure; the monetary fund & the planned clean up and best of all this article says it will take a decade to clean. A dredging plan would take 2 years+ to carry out and make this Lake prestine for all Levin to enjoy and swim in. At the moment that is not allowed?

LAKE ACCORD SIGNING Sunday 4th July 2013

On this day the Accord was signed by the 5 parties at Pariri Marae Hokio Beach Rd. Not a great deal attended with numbers being around 100 which would have included the councils etc to make the numbers up and it was said only about 40 Lake owners as many boycotted the signing. Even some Lake Trustee members boycotted this signing. As you will see the Iwi Reps on the Domain Board have not even drawn up a game plan to clean the Lake up. As Jonathon Proctor said when questioned in the June Domain Board meeting they will sign then talk about what the plan to clean the Lake will be. Exciting as it sounds NOT ONE have said the Lake shoud be dredged? So will we see where some of these Lake Domain Board members get themselves jobs. Will they again fill their own pockets up and will the owners have to wait a further 15-25 years when this Lake could be cleaned up within 2 years and tourism could be brought back to Levin. Lets see as with Fonterra having problems with China now and MP Nathan Guy not addressing the real pollution problem of Lake Horowhenua will the world be watching as Lake Horowhenua stays as one of the dirtiest polluted Lakes in NZ. Sad to see as even a speaker was subjected to a waiata by some which is not tikanga as in every tribe one has a right to speak if allowed. However Wira Gardener the Master of ceremonies said and rightfully so that protesters had a right as with anyone else to say their piece. The Mayor Duffy did apologise for the wrongful pollution in one instance but as we know the Lake has been subjected to more than one time. Also to note this is not the first Accord signed by parties and the question will the Lake be cleaned or just sheer manicured over a few years to give jobs to a few who await in the wings. Is stormwater going to be stopped or at least filtered if going to the Lake? will the inlets be monitored? The problem as we keep saying must be to get rid the sludge which can be achieved within a 2 year cleanup plan and is the only way to make this Lake Ok for swimming etc. To provide superficial solutions achieves nothing.

As Nathan Guy said in his speech the Lake is special to all but he must also realize the way to the future of a clean Lake is to get rid of the sludge on the bottom via hydraulic dredging. Without you will never be able to swim in this Lake.

source Levin Chronicle news

NOW THE WORK NOT WORDS:

The media portrayed that this is the historical event to get Lake Horowhenua back into a prestine Lake? But trhis new Chairman Sword will he now be pressured by the Deputy Chairman Duffy to allow the Council to have a resource consent to keep on polluting the Lake??

MP NATHAN GUY IGNORES LAKE DILEMMA:

KAUMATUA CHARLES RUDD WROTE IN THE HOROWHENUA MAIL: 15TH AUGUST 2013. NB. Writers expressing letter to the Levin Chronicle are not accepted if about what the Council are up to or if they write the truth.

From the Beehive, Otaki MP Nathan Guy says that the Lake Horowhenua Accord follows success of the Manawatu River Accord which is not a success. If that is so, why does the Horowhenua District Council, a signatory to that Manawatu River Accord still want to pollute and contaminate the Manawatu River?

Is that the same intention and outcome for Lake Horowhenua? What was Mayor Duffy's apology for at the signing of the Lake Accord? Was that for the past, present or future? MR Guy was once a councillor at the failed 1997 Lake Restoration attempt and as an MP seems to have done nothing about Lake Horowhenua's dilemma, an other areas of the district as such.

Also now that the Horowhenua district earthquake-prone buildings have been identified will that now place the restoration of Lake Horowhenua on the back burner? Charles Rudd [Senior] Levin 15th August 2013. Blame can not be put on Mayor Duffy as without the likes of Horizons etc, Nathan Guy, DOC these are the ones who must share repsonsibility and they have had many years to support the Council.

PROPOSED PLAN CLEANUP

The mayor has said to the Evening Standard in April 2013 it would take 20 years to clean the Lake?? but wants to sign this Accord as one can access Central Govt funding.

The problem is the toxic sediment on the bottom of the Lake that must be removed and the following is how this can be achieved according to the budget provided. Over the decades, heavy metals and toxic organic chemicals--both municipal and industrial wastes and herbicides and pesticides from farm runoff--have mixed with the particles of rock, soil, and decomposing items in the Lake. Little attention has been paid to the toxics hiding in the mud on the bottom. The obvious first priority was stopping the discharge of new contaminants.

A meeting regarding the status of the Lake was held? These concerned group of Owners decided to seek a Judicial Review in the High Court to seek a decision and clarification as to which legislative ACT governs Lake Horowhenua and the Lake Horowhenua Trustees. Is it the Te Ture Whenua Act or Sec 18 of the Reserves and Other Lands Disposal Act 1956. This meeting was held for the Owners to consider and support our application to the High Court and around 50 owners attended.

Owners seeking more information can email to Colin PAKI [ SEND EMAIL ]

The meeting set for Sept 22nd never eventuated--no notification to owners??

Letter to the editor in the Levin Chronicle Publication 2nd Oct 2013

Neighbourhood Liaison Group LEVIN 22ND SEPT 2013

Duffy's Dump

In a previous election you may recall Major Duffy telling us that the “fantastic landfill” was going to bring half a million dollars in revenue to the community per annum. He couldn’t have got it more wrong. The facts are it has cost the ratepayers millions because council had to comply after the Parliamentary Commission for the Environment did an investigation into HDC’s operations. The (PCE) gave a damming report because of lack of consultation with the community and non-compliance with the resource management act. 

We, as the Neighbourhood Liaison Group have tried for years to get the true facts and figures but the Council still refuse to reveal the true financials (under the commercial sensitivity clause that strangely favours international corporate interests above the public good), very frustrating for a community group trying to preserve the local environment.

Landfill’s built in permeable sand country can never contain all the toxic leachate no matter how much ratepayer’s money is thrown at them…fact. To add insult to injury two thirds of the unscreened rubbish is now imported from outside the region, something you don’t read about in the “Community Connection”.

What Mayor Duffy has been promoting has proved to be an economical and environmental mess. What a shame under Duffy’s watch Horowhenua has resorted to such third world tactics and what a legacy for future generations to live with.

   Malcolm Hadlum (Neighbourhood Liaison Group)

COSTS:

Will the required budget be enough to dredge the whole lake with those responsible eg. Council, Horizons DOC, Govt grants budgeting the cleanup as nothing has been mentioned? Would dredging the hot spots first be the better solution to start, then rechecked thus working within the required budget? Where to start first and end, noting the main inlets and outlet being the Hokio Stream.

This whole process could be accomplished using owners and overseen by the necessary authorities. It would also be a workable business for the owners to accomplish the same in other contaminated parts of NEW Zealand as we have a duty to our tipuna. This is another reason why us owners need to play their role in the Accord process and not be left out.

It has been 62 years that Horowhenua Lake has had sediment, sewerage and contaminants from dairy & horticulture in this Lake ? The Lake is choked with weed, sediment and manures from horticulture and dairy farm run offs account for 50% of the water runoff and this Lake is No 107 of a total 114 most contaminated Lakes in NZ by the Ministry of the Environment. Once rich in food sources from mussels to kakahi it has now been reduced to a contaminated mess.

The blame is on all Maori not thinking and getting their act together. Too much bickering and nothing being achieved. Disgraceful.

All are too blame

[ Lake Accord 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 [ Lake Accord April 2014-15 ] [ Lake Accord 2015 harvest machine ] [ Council want to repollute the Lake Sept 2013 ] [ MLC Injunction on boat ban Nov 19th 2013 ] [ Accord Council signing a farce to repollute ] [ Lobby update June 2013 ] [ Larry Mitchell & the Council ] [ ROLD submission ] [ Horowhenua Lake History ] [ 2023 BLAME ] WASTEWATER DISPOSAL A CONCERN [ Shannon wastewater ]