Issue #108, 13 June 2003
Wellington Harbour dredging "threatens aquifer", claim opponents
Opponents of a plan to conduct a major dredging campaign in Wellington Harbour in New Zealand, claim is could adversely affect the undersea water supply in nearby Hutt Valley.
Wellington port company CentrePort is proposing to shift thousands of cubic metres of silt from port areas in the harbour to make berthing easier for existing ships and to accommodate larger, new generation container ships.
However, say local press reports, objectors claim dredging could break through the Hutt Valley aquifer - an undersea fresh water supply - and contaminate it with salt water.
Their fears follow concerns that the dredging would displace potentially lethal DDT toxins on the sea floor. The concerns threaten to hold up the dredging project - deemed essential by CentrePort.
Local newspapers said recently that the company has lodged resource consent applications for dredging the harbour and for dredging and disposal of material in the inner harbour.
Dredging News Online
