How Rivercare began and why we’re still fighting
Rivercare Group was conceived in early 2019 from a growing sense of concern about the wellbeing of Te Wai ō Pareira/Henderson Creek by fed-up Te Atatū locals Russell Cavanagh and Chris Ballantyne They had both observed the sewage overflows and the lack of official response to these.
The key moment in the founding of Rivercare was the discovery of a poorly managed and significant untreated sewage discharge into Huruhuru Creek in late October 2018. It was shocking to see huge quantities of sewage flowing directly into the water and none of the agencies with the power to take action seemed to care, it was obvious that if no one spoke up nothing would change.
We held our first public meeting in February 2019. From that meeting, Rivercare Group was formed and we’ve continued to grow and expand since then. We have taken on numerous projects including the restoration of Tawa Esplanade, running an extensive predator control programme, connecting tamariki to their local environment, water testing and of course advocating for Te Wai ō Pareira every step of the way.
We have had some wins in our efforts to restore the mauri of Te Wai ō Pareira but there is still a long way to go. Since the felling of the Kauri in the headwaters of the awa over 180 years ago, the mauri of the awa has been increasingly compromised. The awa continues to face enormous pressures from development, stormwater, wastewater, sediment and pollution. Efforts to address the historic damage to the awa will take generations. We have had some small wins in our efforts to restore the mauri of Te Wai ō Pareira but there is still a long way to go. However we’ve seen what can happen when local people care enough to ask questions, gather evidence and take action and that makes this fight worthwhile.
Thank you for being part of the journey
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