He believed the nearby Hoteo and Kaukapakapa Rivers, which also drain into the Kaipara Harbour, are in need of attention but funding any clean-up was the problem.
“I want to put together a proper cleaning programme,” he said.
He wants to organise a meeting of Auckland Federated Farmers representatives and stormwater engineers from Auckland Council.
“I’m hoping that will be in the not too distant future.”
He said in the new Auckland Council plan there was no provision for funding for cleaning any of the region’s rivers.
“You go to get funding and everyone is running in the opposite direction. It makes me angry and frustrates the hell out of me.”
Grace, who has been involved in local government for the past 15 years, managed to get the $15,000 required to clean glyceria from under the railway bridge which links the Narbey and Bradly farms earlier this year. But he said that only happened because if the money wasn’t spent it would no longer have been available. No further funding had been allocated.
“But now’s the time to get into it and do it,” he said.
“We’ve got to get it funded and sorted. I hope to make a reasonable amount of progress by the end of the year.”
In the 1950s draglines had been used to regularly clear the weed out of the river, with Rodney Council continuing that work by spraying the glyceria. But environmental groups had objected so that had been discontinued.
Spraying the weed in the upper reaches of the river would help alleviate the problem.
“After the railway bridge there’s a lot of tidal flow and that keeps the river moderately clean.”
But a better option would be to clear the weed from one side of the river as had been done under the railway bridge then three months later repeat the process on the other side.
A council spokesperson said glyceria, or reed sweet grass, was currently a surveillance pest, meaning it was not permitted to sell or propagate the plant, but its management was a landowner responsibility.
“While Auckland Council has previously chosen to assist private landowners in urgent situations, such as the weed clearance around the railway bridge earlier this year, which was carried out to reduce immediate flooding risks, there is currently no council project or programme for the management of weed issues in the Lower Kaipara.”
Although the council assisted in catchment-wide issues through its sustainable catchments programme, the work was prioritised on a region-wide basis and on available resources. The Kaipara River was not a priority catchment but if that changed council would contact affected landowners.
Landowners had the option of approaching the Rodney Local Board for funding to address the weed issues in the short term or to set up a process for landowners to work together in the long term.
“The responsibility for landowner practices which have generated the weed infestation in the river rests with the landowners.”
Auckland Council would continue to actively encourage and educate landowners to reduce nutrient and sediment loads to waterways which would, over time, reduce weed infestations. There was not any targeted programme currently planned for the Kaipara River.
