My Account
Harbour pollution
I wish to correct the erroneous statement in the last issue (MM Apr 3) with reference to the breakage of the sewer pipe at Point Wells. There was definitely discharge into the harbour and several residents witnessed it.
Laurence Eyres, Point Wells
Watercare’s head of service delivery, Simon Porter, responds: “Watercare contractors responded to a leak from a broken wastewater main, caused by a third party. They responded immediately, but by the time they arrived, the third party had already dug a trench with his digger and contained the spill. The broken pipe was repaired. The following morning our contractor returned to inspect the repaired pipe. They also visited the beach and recorded insignificant pollution levels. The results came back as 1ppm (parts per million). The scale runs from 1-6. Anything above three indicates pollution, anything below indicates no pollution, so one is negligible. We are very disappointed that a third party broke our wastewater pipe and we will be reclaiming costs for the repairs. We’d like to remind anyone carrying out excavation work that they must first apply for ‘Works Over’ approval so they don’t dig anywhere near our water or wastewater pipes.”
Cyclists ignored
I note Auckland Transport’s (AT) response to my letter concerning the Mahurangi East Road crossing points at Snells Beach (MM March 13). So what is AT doing about educating drivers to slow down at their now narrowed down road crossing points as they say is their aim? I see no signage to warn drivers to slow down. I don’t see any education process in place to help drivers understand they need to give room to cyclists and wait for them to pass these narrow crossing points, and no programme from AT to remind drivers that under the Road Code they are required to give cyclists 1.5 metres of space when passing them. Just last week I was very nearly knocked off my bike at one of the Mahurangi East Road crossing points when a “Dig 4 U” truck passed me extremely dangerously close. So close, a pedestrian coming the other way threw up her hands in horror at the near terrible accident. When I later passed where the truck had stopped and tackled the driver about his dangerous move, and reminded him I was also entitled to be safely using the road, he said, “You are just a silly old fool, going past a crossing point in the middle of the road when a truck is coming behind you.” That certainly doesn’t comply with AT’s comments reported in your paper that, “In this situation, the motorist needs to slow and let the bike rider go first and pass the bike when it is safe to do so”. Sadly, in my experience, this rarely happens.
Neil Anderson, Algies Bay
