Aotea Lagoon's duck pond.
The state of the duck pond at Aotea Lagoon is a regularly raised issue by visitors to this popular reserve.
We recognise that it is an unsustainable environment and needs addressing, so the Council will look to resolve the issue as soon as we practicably can.
Near the end of 2019, we considered several solutions that would remove the current unhealthy environment of the pond – solutions that were cost-effective and had a more than reasonable possibility of gaining resource consents from Greater Wellington Regional Council, who oversee this part of the reserve.
The option that we have chosen to seek consent is to fill in the duck pond and created a landscaped watercourse across the site. This solution was first proposed in 2017, with the splash pad a possibility of being sited there.
This project was discussed and agreed during the 2018 Long-term Plan process and it was agreed funding would be available for the 2021/22 financial year.
A resource consent to do this work is being prepared and will be lodged later this year, with detailed design to take place in the meantime.
Any physical works could thus take place in 2021 or 2022.
In parallel, we are engaging with the community and stakeholders about the future development of Aotea Lagoon Reserve.
We want to hear a wide range of views from the public, regular users, local organisations and others about what they want to see at the reserve, with this engagement to feed into a development plan that will provide a framework for the future.
Once the development plan is complete, we will consult further with the community before any physical work is carried out.
We want Aotea Lagoon Reserve to retain its community values and continue to be a place of pride for future generations.
We will provide updates on the duck pond situation through social media and the PCC website.
19 Feb 2020
