HOROWHENUA LAKE ACCORD CLEANUP 2013

THE ACCORD PROCESS

With the Council now seeking an Accord to clean up the Lake yet don't know where to start or finish local Iwi have now banded together to form a community team to get the job done with Pare Raukawa who have land by the Hokio Stream. Some members of the Lake Trustees tried to pass the Accord and have it signed as they were in for jobs of course but those that stuck to their guns who are for the people not themselves like the majoprity of Lake Trustees. The Accord signing has been blocked which would mean the Council would lead this Accord and could then dictate the outcome or the delays. A meeting on the 14th April 2013 saw the new community committee set up to be part of this process and are working fast formulating and networking with all Groups not just themselves. Involved now you have Farmers, HorticultureNZ, Chinese market garden head, Tourism NZ, Horticulture NZ as well as other Community groups all pitching in to clean the Horowhenua Lake up.

Five groups have been 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 os the management structure; the monetary fund & the planned clean up.

But first of all to start anything the contamination must be stopped entering the Lake.

PROPOSED PLAN CLEANUP

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 yet the Domain Board has not even looked at this. They procrastinate with no leases on buildings yet they try to evict and owner from a building. Lobby groups have now rallied together as the Lake Trust floundered over many years with one Accord after another and nothing done.

LAKE LOBBY MEETING SUNDAY 16TH JUNE 2013 2pm was yet another success story:

The Lobby group of Muaupoko and Pare Raukawa met with Levin local community and all concerned groups at the Lake 1.30pm for karakia then to the Anglican Church Cambridge St at 2pm Sunday 16th June 2013. This was to bring forward an update of the work being undertaken to the present date. Members viewed, received and commented on the latest update 20 page document named He Rikenga Whakatikatika which means "make Maori experiences better ". Notably absent were members of the Horowhenua District Council which was a shame but however was perhaps telling the group they, the District Council have no interest in this Lake apart from their own interests. It is now a well known fact the Horowhenua District Council do not wish to spend a cent on the Lake themselves yet they want to get the funding from Central Government to mow the weeds etc.

[ Check Horowhenua District Councils low rating in the 2013 League Rating for Councils in NZ ]. They are second to last so if you are in Levin on the 7th July at 2pm listen to Larry Mitchell exposing the District Councils blatent spending spree at the Salvation Army Hall 11 Durham Street,
Levin.

Also not present were members of the Lake Trust members who were told of the meeting except for Charles Rudd Snr. The local St Marys Anglican Church Reverand David Pearson opened the meeting at the Church Hall on the corner of Cambridge and Manchester Streets, Levin. Prof Whata Winiata officiated and the meeting was well received. Comments were made by Horticulture NZ, Horizons Lindsay Burnell, Tourism NZ, local farmer identities and many other speakers as to what is required and to offer assistance in the Horowhenua Lake cleanup. More noticeable was the ex Mayor of Levin Malcom Guy who has attended these meeting as with many local concerned citizens .

The effort to restore Lake Horowhenua and bring back what this prestine Lake was and will be were generated by good citizens who understand and know the problem. He Rikenga Whakatikatika [ Maori experiences to make better ] sets out the objectives and the work to date which is admirable to say the least. It ended at aprox 5pm this same day with karakia and a lovely afternoon tea.

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.

MEETING OF THE LOBBY GROUP 27TH JUNE 2013

A Hui will be held at Thompson House, 4 Kent Street Levin  for Thursday the 27th of June from 11am - 2pm. We hope that you will be able to join us to share this korero, we would like to hear from you about your experiences with the taonga. If you have any questions about this hui please call me on 06 364 8598. All the general public are invited.

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.

Horizons have studied the fish species in the Lake but this is not the problem. The problem is the Lake is a giant toilet that someone forgot to flush. The Council do not care as they can spend all sorts on removing the weed etc which will do nothing. The real problem is to remove the sludge which is easy but even Max Gibbs the NIWA analyst could not even mention. To us its a rush job of who can get the work and blow it out to 25 years??? and then maybe never.