Damaging nature

Christchurch City Council river weed removal contractors are currently working in the rivers through Mona Vale.

Silt-laden water drifts downstream, smothering the river bottom.

This activity makes absolutely no ecological sense as invertebrates and other organisms are either directly killed by the contractors; made available to predators such as cormorants/shags, Canada geese and ducks; or smothered with silt. Nature is turned on its head.

Council carries out this work to increase the available waterway area, and reduce the possibility of flooding the leafy properties adjacent to the river.

There is no consideration that the fixed-height weirs constructed to maintain water levels at a ‘suitable’ height increase the risk of flooding far more than naturally growing river plants.

If the river was allowed to be natural with unrestricted flow there would be much better ecological results and unrestricted fish passage. There are poor outcomes for nature when there is too much interference. S M McNeill, St Albans