Carters Creek group marks three years of community action

It’s amazing to think that the Carters Creek catchment group is now three years old.

One of the more recent achievements of the group has been looking after a council reserve area next to the creek on Melcombe Street, gradually planting it out to reduce sediment and pollutants entering the creek. A nearby local in his eighties wandered over to tell us recently that he enjoys visiting the site. The area is no longer an eye sore and he feels we are doing a good job protecting the creek. He likes to help out by putting plant guards back on the natives when the wind blows them off. Enhancement of the creek, in his opinion, has made the Melcombe Street reserve a more attractive place for the many people who use this area for dogwalking and exercise.

On our third anniversary, a bunch of keen volunteers returned to Melcombe Street to top up the natives and weed areas needing attention. Led by local Leen Braam and his wife Lianne, another 250 plants were dug in.  Carex Secta were dominant, but we’ve also added new Cionochloa Rubra, Anemanthele Lessioniana, Chionochloa Flavicans and Carex Testacea plants.

What we’ve found since taking over the site a year ago is that some species are doing better than others. The creek’s banks are steep and very stony as our volunteers discovered when digging in the new plants, especially on the back of this prolonged dry. But the creek itself provides freshes (natural irrigation) during heavy rainfall and one year in there’s been good establishment, particularly on the northern banks. It’s been disappointing to see a few gaps where plants have died or perhaps been removed by those wanting a free native plant to take home, but we’re hoping over time the mix of species will harden up and bed in providing solid riparian protection. 

Thanks also must go to local Councillor Phill Hooper who joined the planting event. As well as digging in plants, Phill took wonderful video that we could share. We had a couple of new faces from the Lake Hood community turn up. Residents around the lake are aware that Carters Creek is one of the contributors to the lake’s water quality problem, so helping with efforts to minimise pollution upstream is a good motivator. Members of the Carters Creek catchment group are talking to the resident’s association at Lake Hood about ways we can better integrate our efforts and collaborate on future planting projects. Our group has not only been active planting. Two years ago, we encouraged more than 100 submissions from the community which led ECan to set aside funding in their long-term plan for flood mitigation. We have also been successful in advocating for drain cleaning and monitoring of potential pollution sources in the catchment.

If you want to know more about the group or get involved, we welcome hearing from you. The catchment group covers an area from 7km above Tinwald including rural properties through Tinwald itself, covering farming and lifestyle properties downstream and finishing at the Lake Hood community where the creek enters one of the canals. If you live anywhere in the catchment, you are eligible to join.

You can get in touch with myself (021796037) or our facilitator Janine Holland on jrholland@xtra.co.nz or 0274604940.

Willy Leferinks is Carters Creek Catchment Group chairperson