Published as Issue No. 97
April 8, 2014
News from the Creek: The first practical steps have been taken to lift the Houghton Valley creek, after 70 years of coexisting with leachate pollution from the old tip.
- On Saturday ten people began clearing away rubbish and foliage to follow the streamlet flows from nine separate clear water springs from the western side of the valley.
- An unexpected bonus was the discovery of koura, native freshwater crayfish, a sign the water is clean and has enough food for them.
Transport Plan: The Greater Wellington Regional Council is further consulting Residents’ Associations on the draft regional public transport plan. The president of the Houghton Valley Progressive Association, Christine Fowler, will attend a meeting in Kilbirnie tomorrow night. Over the last two years locals have been active in shaping this plan as it affects the future of our bus services.
Why 13?: The number of houses proposed for a Houghton Valley Rd development created considerable concern at the end of last year and resulted in public meetings, one with the developer. Jacob, a member of the local group created as a result, commented:
“Our main concern is that we, as a community, have not been notified by WCC about this proposal. Why is the community being left out of the resource consent process? Our exclusion means we have no real input into the Council processes deciding whether or not to grant this Resource Consent.”
Tomorrow a full statement from Jacob and the group will be distributed as a special issue of the Newsletter. Earlier debate is on the website at http://houghtonvalley.org.nz/forum/discussion/217/proposed-sub-division-for-13-houses-at-215-houghton-bay-rd- [Link not current].
Norman