Devonport-Takapuna Local Board

17 November 2015

Wairau Estuary Sediment Management

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File No.: CP2015/17240

Purpose
1. To present the key findings of the Wairau Estuary Sediment Management Options report,
and relevant actions council is taking to manage water quality in the Wairau Valley
catchment, to the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board.

Executive Summary
1. There is public concern regarding the accumulation of sediment in the Wairau Estuary area
and the impacts of this on the recreational amenity and environmental wellbeing of the
estuary. Key concerns expressed include the depth of accumulated silt in the upper estuary
(above the marina) and odours from the estuary.
2. In response to these concerns, the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board and Auckland
Council’s stormwater unit jointly funded AR & Associates to assess options for remediating
previously accumulated sediment and managing ongoing sedimentation.
3. Key findings of this study are presented in the Wairau Estuary Sediment Management
Options report included in Attachment A and summarised below, along with council
recommendations arising from the study’s findings.
4. Key findings of the AR & Associates study include:
 The estuary is a highly modified environment due to the presence of the marina, its
associated dredging activities and the weir. Streams entering the estuary are also highly
modified and are predominantly piped or travel through concrete channels. This means
opportunities for projects that will significantly improve water quality values in the
estuary area and Wairau Valley catchment are limited.
 Because the catchment is so highly modified, there are relatively low flows of sediment
into the estuary, although some deposition of sediment is occurring which is natural in
this type of environment. The odours generated by the estuary in hot, dry conditions are
caused by natural processes, specifically vegetation and organic matter breaking down.
5. Key recommendations arising from the report and council actions include:
 That council optimise management of existing stormwater treatment devices in the
catchment, including repairing the broken trash rack (a filter to capture debris)
downstream of the bridge on East Coast and Kitchener Road. A new rack has been
commissioned and will soon be installed and funded regionally.
 That sediment management could be improved through the development of additional
water quality treatment devices, although further investigation into the feasibility of these
would be required. It is noted that council has three stormwater quality treatment
devices which are already operating within the catchment. A fourth, the Croftfield Lane
wetland, was temporarily decommissioned due to an infestation of alligator weed but will
soon be recommissioned. Additional sites for treatment in the catchment are limited but
can be investigated when, or if, they become available.
 That council undertake contaminant load modelling of the catchment. This will help to
better understand the sources of contaminants (including sediment) from different parts
of the catchment entering the estuary. Council has undertaken a high level contaminant
load modelling study. The results are still being analysed and will be shared with the
board once this is complete.
 Installing a boardwalk network in the estuary and planting around it, as proposed
through the Milford Centre Plan, would provide an opportunity to educate the public

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about estuarine processes and increase local recreation opportunities. This project
could be progressed through the board’s Local Parks work programme.
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6. Finally, the report recommends that educational signage be placed near the estuary and
public engagement be carried out to inform the public about estuarine processes. A potential
project to achieve these goals will be presented to the board through a separate report on
their local environmental work programme for 2015/2016.

Recommendation/s
That the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board:
a) note the key findings of the Wairau Estuary Sediment Management Options report
included in Attachment A to the agenda report.
b) note that the following actions to manage the quality of stormwater traveling into the
Wairau Estuary are occurring:
i. operation of several stormwater treatment quality devices, such as the Trias and
Link ponds.
ii. recommissioning the Croftfield Lane wetland, which will treat approximately one-
third of stormwater entering the estuary.
iii. commissioning a new trash rack to replace the broken one downstream of the
bridge on East Coast and Kitchener Road.
iv. carrying out high level Contaminant Load Modelling to better understand the
sources of contaminants (including sediment) entering the Wairau Estuary.

Comments
7. The Devonport-Takapuna Local Board has received a number of complaints from the public
regarding the accumulation of sediment in the Wairau Estuary area, adjacent to the Milford
town centre.
8. The concerns raised include health and safety risks from deep silt, amenity and general
environmental impacts of poor water quality. Members of the public have also expressed
concerns regarding odours from the estuary, particularly in summer.
9. In response, the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board and Auckland Council’s regional
stormwater unit both contributed $10,000 each to a study by AR & Associates to further
investigate these concerns (see the Wairau Estuary Sediment Management Options report
shown in Attachment A).
Aims and scope of the study
10. The aims of the study were to:
 compile existing information on sedimentation in the estuary,
 assess ‘high level’ ongoing sediment management options,
 identify opportunities and constraints to remediating previously accumulated sediment,
and
 equip council with information to help determine responsibilities and courses of action
for estuary management.
11. The assessment of sediment sources into the estuary included:
 land-based sources including road runoff, building sites, and commercial premises (note
- in a fully developed catchment such as this, land-based sources only make a small
contribution compared with a developing catchment).

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 stream bank erosion. This can be a significant sediment source in some catchments,
however in the Wairau catchment, 76 per cent of the stream channel is piped or lined,

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and the remaining amount modified which significantly reduces stream bank erosion as
a source.
 bank erosion and re-deposition within the estuary. This erosion and redeposition within
the study area and in the marina is a natural function within the sheltered, depositional
environment provided by an estuary.
Summary of options considered in study for sediment management
12. The study considered a number of options to address sedimentation and improve water
quality in the estuary. Some of these options are summarised below along with further
advice from council staff.
13. Option One: Do nothing. The study notes that sedimentation in estuaries is naturally
occurring in this type of environment. While sedimentation is occurring in the Wairau
Estuary, it seems to be happening at relatively slow rates. As shown in the aerial photos in
Attachment B there has not been significant change in the study area between 1959 to
2010 (and the present day).
14. Existing development in the upstream catchment, including stream piping and lining, and the
nature of the estuary itself, also limit opportunities for interventions that will significantly
improve the environmental status of the estuary.
15. The report also noted that odours from anaerobic processes in the estuary are a naturally
occurring phenomenon, caused by the breakdown of organic matter. They tend to be worse
in summer when temperatures are higher and there is less rain to flush the estuary. This
means interventions to improve water quality are not likely to have a significant impact on
odours.
16. However, the study notes that a ‘do nothing’ option will not address public concerns. It will
also not improve water quality entering the estuary.
17. Option Two: Constructing stormwater structures in the estuary. The study notes that
sedimentation in the Wairau Estuary could possibly be managed by constructing a
stormwater pond or wetland within the estuary. However, this option would be costly, difficult
to consent, construct and maintain and would provide limited benefits; it is therefore not
recommended.
18. Option Three: Mangrove removal and dredging. The Milford Marina has a resource consent
to dredge the lower part of the estuary, as and when required, for the operation of the
marina. The study considered the option of removing mangroves from the true right bank of
the upper part of the estuary and dredging of sediment from the same area.
19. The authors noted that it could be difficult to gain resource consent for this project. It would
also be expensive to carry out, particularly since the sediment from the estuary is likely
contaminated and would need to be deposited to a hazardous landfill site. The option would
most likely have limited effectiveness in terms of reducing sedimentation. This option is
therefore not recommended for further investigation.
20. Option Four: Bank stabilisation through armouring or planting. The report discusses potential
armouring of the banks of the estuary, but suggests that this should only be considered if
there are nearby assets that need protection from erosion. Staff do not recommend that this
option is pursued because bank armouring is costly and often not effective in the long-term,
because estuaries are dynamic environments, meaning that the course of waterways, and
thus the banks, may shift over time.
21. At a local board workshop on 22 September 2015, board members also asked if gabion
baskets could be used to provide additional bank stabilisation. This is another form of bank
stabilisation through armouring, with the only difference being that the rock is packed in
galvanized steel baskets. The comments in regards to bank stabilization above apply equally
to this option, with the additional drawback that gabion baskets are prone to corrosion and

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failure in saline environments, and are therefore less suited than plain rock armouring. They
also release zinc into the environment as they corrode.
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22. The report also notes that planting in the upper part of the estuary could be considered to
provide some bank stabilisation. It is recommended that this be carried out at the same time
as the Milford Boardwalk project discussed below.
23. Option Five: Providing a water quality treatment site in AF Thomas Park. The report
discusses the option of diverting the Chartwell sub-catchment of the estuary into AF Thomas
Park and providing water quality treatment at this location and recommends that this option
be further investigated.
24. Staff have established that AF Thomas Park is currently leased to the Takapuna Golf
Course for 10 years up until 2025. Potential for a water quality device could be investigated
closer to the date of this lease lapsing.
25. Option Six: Providing a water quality treatment site in Brian Byrnes Reserve. The study
considers the option of placing an additional water quality treatment device in Brian Byrnes
Reserve. However, it notes that this would only capture a very small part of flows from the
catchment (less than five percent). This stream also drains into the lower portion of the
estuary, so installing a treatment device there would not improve water quality in the upper
part of the estuary.
26. Further, staff note that the area required for a treatment device would also require a
significant loss of park land, which is currently used for recreational purposes. A better
option could be riparian planting of the sections of Wairau Stream running through the Brian
Byrnes Reserve. This would improve the ecology of the area and provide an avenue for
community engagement around the Wairau Estuary. This project will be discussed in more
detail in a further report to the board on their environmental work programme for 2015/2016.
Recommendations and actions arising from the study
27. After considering the options described above, the report makes a number of
recommendations for future action to improve water quality and address sedimentation in the
Wairau Estuary. These are described below along with relevant actions that council is
undertaking to improve water quality in the catchment.
Optimise existing stormwater treatment devices
28. The report recommends that council focus on the optimisation of existing stormwater
treatment devices within the Wairau Valley catchment. Council’s stormwater unit already has
a program of optimising existing treatment devices which should achieve this outcome. For
example, when the Trias and Link Road ponds come up for scheduled maintenance,
opportunities for improvement will be investigated and implemented.
29. Repair of trash rack: As stated above, the study found that one of the existing water quality
treatment devices, the trash rack downstream of the East Coast and Kitchener Road Bridge,
had been damaged and was in need of repair. A new stainless steel trash rack has been
commissioned and should soon be installed.
30. Council is also soon to recommission the Croftfield Lane wetland. This wetland had been
decommissioned due to an infestation of alligator weed which has now been resolved. The
contract for constructing a wetland is currently being tendered, and it is expected that the
wetland will be completed by late 2016. This will significantly reduce the contaminant load
travelling downstream into the estuary, as it will treat stormwater from about a third of the
catchment.
Contaminant load modelling
31. The report also recommends that Auckland Council’s Contaminant Load Model be used to
identify if any untreated areas within the estuary catchment are generating high contaminant
loads. In response, council has commissioned high level Contaminant Load Modelling. The
results of this are being analysed and will be shared with the board once complete. This will
help to identify untreated areas of the catchment upstream that coincide with high

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contaminant loads. It is noted, however, that the availability of sites for additional water
treatment devices in the catchment is limited.

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Management of building consents
32. The report notes that rigorous compliance of sediment and erosion control measures on large
and small building sites will reduce sediment generation. These issues are addressed through
council’s resource and building consent processes.
Construction of a boardwalk network
33. The study notes that the Milford Centre Plan proposes the construction of a boardwalk
network through the Wairau Estuary. It suggests that this boardwalk could also include
interpretive signage to inform the public about estuarine processes. Construction of the
boardwalk could also be combined with planting of salt marsh plant species on the upper
banks of the Wairau Estuary to increase biodiversity and amenity.
34. Any boardwalk will need consent to be constructed in a Coastal Marine Area. The Wairau
Estuary is a functioning estuarine system that is protected as a Significant Ecological Area
(SEA) under the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan. Any boardwalk network incorporated within
the estuary will have to be sensitive to the natural processes taking place.
35. This project would have limited environmental benefits, but will have positive impacts on
recreation and amenity. This project could be progressed through the board’s Local Parks
work programme or potentially funded through the new Local Board discretionary capital
expenditure fund.
Public engagement and signage relating to odours
36. The discussion document does not include recommendations to address odour from the
estuary because these naturally occur in the anaerobic conditions of an estuary. Odours tend
to be worse during summer when temperatures are higher and there is less rain to flush the
estuary. However, the study notes that it may be useful for council to provide more
information to the public about estuarine processes, the role that mangroves play in estuarine
eco-systems, and the source of odours.
37. Concerns about odours are frequently expressed by residents living near stream mouths on
the east coast of the North Shore. This has been addressed by the Hibiscus and Bays Local
Board through the development of interpretative signage to be placed at stream mouths. This
signage also informs the public about actions they can take to improve the health of their local
streams.
38. As mentioned above, a community engagement project which involves the installation of
some interpretative signage at key sites near the estuary will be put to the board for
consideration as part of their environmental work programme for 2015/2016.
Water quality
39. During a workshop with the board on 22 September 2015, board members expressed
concern about the water quality in the estuary and asked for more information on this topic.
Some monitoring was undertaken in 2004. A request for more recent information has been
lodged with council’s Research Evaluation and Monitoring Unit, and results will be shared with
the board when they become available.

Consideration
Local board views and implications
40. This report responds to concerns from the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board relating to
sediment and water quality issues in the Wairau Estuary and outlines some actions that
council is taking in regards to this issue. It also responds to some queries raised by the board
at the workshop on 22 September 2015.

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Māori impact statement

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41. It is recognised that stormwater works that impact on the mauri of waterways are of great
significance to mana whenua in their kaitiaki role. Some of the projects outlined in this report
have potential to contribute to improving the mauri of the Wairau Estuary, and thus the
cultural wellbeing of mana whenua. It is noted that consultation should be undertaken with
mana whenua before any major works are conducted in the estuary.

Implementation

Attachments
No. Title Page
A Wairau Estuary Sediment Management Options: Discussion Document 27
B Lower Wairau Creek aerial photos between 1959 and 2010 65

Signatories
Authors Judy-Ann Ansen Waterways Planning Team Manager
Chris Stumbles, Waterways Projects Team Manager
Authorisers Barry Potter, Director Infrastructure and Environmental Services
Eric Perry - Relationship Manager

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