In this newsletter:
Update from the Project TeamWe’d like to start by acknowledging the people who have lost houses and property in the recent flooding in our District. A few members of the project team were diverted to help and were on the ground during the floods and that brought home the reality of the size of this event. To reassure those around the Canal, the recent flooding did not have a direct impact on the Kopeopeo and no sediment moved from the channel. There were minor delays in the construction of Containment Site 1 while we waited for ground conditions to be suitable for construction equipment, but they weren't significant. We have also started using our new Dashboard to report on progress across a range of areas. You can read the first Dashboard update on the website and you can expect to see these each month. Due to significant delays in working through issues with the landowners at Containment Site 2 (CS2), the Project Team has made the decision to end the lease on CS2. We will focus instead on the Regional Council-owned sites at CS1 and CS3 and will continue to progress work at CS1 while preparation works at CS3 are planned. We also promised an update on how the Flood Management Plan will work in this newsletter but it is rather long so we will provide an update on the website and we hope you will join us for a Tech Talk on that topic at the next CLG meeting on Tuesday 16 May. Eel trialOur resource consent requires us to euthanize and dispose of all contaminated fish prior to dredging to ensure they are not eaten and we can monitor fish tissue quality following the remediation works. In order to establish the best way to do this and the likely number of eel/fish that will be caught in the nets, the Project Team is working with freshwater ecologists and Ngāti Awa to complete a trial in the months before we start dredging the Canal. The trial will also be used to evaluate the capture and release of any long fin eel that are likely to be migrating through the canal, rather than resident species that would be contaminated. The Trial will be covered in a CLG meeting and information will be made available on the website in the coming weeks. Kopeopeo on a pageHave you seen the new ‘Kopeopeo Canal on a page’ flyer? It is a great way to help people get up to speed with the project and it provides a high level overview of what we are doing. So feel free to get in touch with the team and ask for copies (or an electronic version) to share with anyone you talk to about the Project. You can also find it on our website. From the ChairIt has been a while since the last newsletter due to a disrupted month of April for many of us. But for those like me who have driven along State Highway 2 recently, you will see CS1 starting to take shape. While the dust fence is erected, it is worth remembering that all the earthworks taking place on that site are on uncontaminated soil. The last CLG meeting had an excellent turnout and some robust discussion. Thanks to all those who attended. I was pleased to see a number of new faces at the table who haven’t been part of the process since the original consents were issued more than three years ago. They raised some good questions for the Project Team and it was pleasing to see how far the project has moved to mitigate a number of factors that were a concern at that time. We have also hosted the contractors, EnviroWaste, at a recent CLG and their focus was very clearly on Health and Safety. You can read their presentation on the website. At the next meeting, among the regular updates from the team, the CLG has asked for a rather timely Tech Talk from the author of the Flood Management Plan, Peter West. I look forward to seeing you there. From the ContractorApril has been a busy month for the team as a number of big milestones need to be met so that we are able to start dredging by the middle of the year. We are making the most of the last of the autumn weather to get the enabling works completed at CS1 and the site is taking shape. We lost a little time to the very soggy conditions last month, but nothing too significant. We are also in the early stages of preparing for an open day before dredging works start. It will be a chance for members of the CLG and other interested parties to have a short look around the site before we turn on the pumps. We are not expecting it to be on the same scale as the Trial in 2015, but a chance for those involved in the project to have a look around. |