MARTIN DE RUYTER/STUFF
Former city councilor Bill Dahlberg says sawdust exposed at the Tāhunanui Back Beach, which is allowed to make its way into the Waimea Estuary, is an “environmental waste” that needs to be addressed.
A former Nelson councilor says the council should put its money into environmental stewardship, such as: exposed sawdust is left to enter the beach and the water.
Bill Dahlberg has expressed concern about the management of Tāhunanui Beach due to historic sawdust deposits being washed into the estuary, but the municipality says the sawdust is not considered polluting.
Dahlberg said a decision had been made during his time on Nelson City Council, through documents such as the Long-Term Plan and the Waimea Inlet Action Plan, to prevent further environmental degradation and improve the estuary, but allow exposed sawdust to spread from the rear. beach could spread uncontrollably into the environment, did not sustain those intentions.
He said the Waimea Inlet Action Plan, which was being developed with the City Council, the Tasman District Council and the local iwi, was “very forward-looking and proactive”, but the lack of action against the sawdust belied his intentions.
READ MORE:
* Friends of the Maitai call for financial clarity, sustainable forest management
* Big Issues: The Nelson Council’s Environmental Track Record
* Government announces 70,000 trees to be planted around Waimea Inlet, near Nelson
“Apart from cleaning up what is already there, we emphasized not to add any more environmental waste. If in the ’60s the council dumped sawdust and sawdust and sawdust from forestry that can still float around in clusters…they wouldn’t let a forestry group get away with it.”
He said more needed to be done given the council’s clear commitment to climate change and environmental awareness.
“I’m not under the illusion that it’s a lot of work to correct this, but reversing environmental damage and climate change is challenging, and it’s great to talk about it, but I think most of us want to see action.”
MARTIN DE RUYTER/STUFF
Sawdust deposits used in the 1970s to create level picnic areas are exposed by erosion and left to spread and break down on their own.
However, Andrew White, manager of the council’s community services group, said the council’s “current understanding” was that sawdust was not considered a contaminant to the beach or cove and that it would break down naturally over time, although the council “would regularly test for contaminants”.
“At this stage, we have no reason to believe buried material is contaminated, but we believe continued monitoring is sensible,” he said.
White said the situation was “a very different scenario from forest sedimentation.”
“[Sedimentation] can damage the natural environment because of the variety and size of natural matter, including branches and trunks that can alter the flow of waterways, reduce water depth, deteriorate water quality and disrupt the natural food chain in a waterway,” he said.
He said the municipality was taking a “managed retreat option” for Tāhunanui’s back beach, where the Blind Canal has been slowly returning to its former course since it was rerouted in the late 1800s.
The Back Beach is an area of erosion as the Blind Channel returns to its historic route. The municipality is applying managed withdrawal measures in the area.
“We have decided not to remove the sawdust exposed near the enclosed Back Beach parking lot as it would hasten the erosion of this part of the beach,” he said.
“It’s also not practical to cover the sawdust because this is an erosive area and anything we cover the sawdust with is also washed away.”
He said the municipality “managed infrastructure and vegetation clearance” to minimize hazards on the beach, and the beach was regularly cleaned to remove asphalt breaking off from the parking areas.