Protesters oppose new water treatment plant in West Auckland

Monday, 5 June 2017

Protesters say Watercare's new facility will destroy native trees and bush.

Around 300 protesters gathered to oppose the development of a new water treatment plant in West Auckland on Monday morning.

Watercare announced on May 30 that its preferred site for a $317 million new plant would be next to the existing, run-down one on Manuka Rd, Waima.

Residents angry at Watercare's announcement have formed the Titirangi Protection Society to fight the decision.

Protesting residents argue that this will destroy native bush and part of the Clark Bush Track near Titirangi.

They brandished placards while chanting 'Watercare - show you care!' and 'Treat trees like people!' at Monday's stand.

The proposed site for Watercare's new treatment plant in Waima, near Titirangi, West Auckland, contains many native trees.

What the new water treatment plant would look like.

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* Watercare controls consultation on new water treatment plant**

Watercare spokeswoman Maxine Clayton said that Watercare 'recognises the rights of individuals to protest peacefully in a public place'.

She said the community would be able to submit input during the statutory planning consent process later this year.

Watercare was originally looking to build the new plant in the West Auckland suburb of Oratia, but after strong opposition from locals it decided the Waima site was more suitable.

Save Oratia spokesman Paul Goldsmith said that although Oratia residents were happy the plant would not be built in their suburb, the celebration was a little muted as it was still going to be built in the Waitakere Ranges.

'Obviously we appreciate the concerns that the Waima community will now face and our thoughts go out to them,' he said.

Watercare infrastructure planning manager Mark Bourne said proper investigation of the Waima site's stability still had to be undertaken, but that he did not expect it to be a problem because the current plant was built on similar land 90 years ago.

Concerned locals calling themselves the Titirangi Protection Group have started fundraising via Givealittle to cover the costs of dispensing information to the public about their views on the Waima development.

'If this project goes ahead in Titirangi, it would be an ecological and social disaster, an insult to the environmental pioneers that helped create the essential character of Titirangi and an absolute disgrace for the green image of New Zealand,' the page reads.

The group are also running a petition for their cause that has more than 1600 signatories so far.

Titirangi residents have a strong history of fighting for native trees: they've spent days up both pohutukawa and kauri in bids to protect them from being chopped down. Both former Prime Minister Helen Clark and former supermodel Rachel Hunter have supported the causes.