This is Bay of Plenty Regional councillor Janes Nees' response to T Wilson's letter 'Profit before People is the Price'.

It is true that a lot of research and monitoring is being done on the health of Tauranga Harbour. However, the results of this work is readily available and it is being used to design work programmes to progressively improve harbour health.

It is worth looking at the Bay of PLenty Regional Council website where all the relevant reports can be found. They show that commonly used beaches in Tauranga Harbour generally have good water quality although some areas become unsafe for swimming after heavy or prolonged rain. They indicate the harbour bed is generally in good health except for localised ‘hot-spots' around stormwater outfalls and some areas where intense urban development is having a negative impact on wildlife.

Studies have been done on pollutants impacting on the harbour including a targeted survey undertaken of herbicide and pesticides contaminants in sheltered sub-estuaries of Tauranga Harbour with significant horticultural/agricultural land use. This showed only very low levels present which indicated that there is not likely to be any lethal toxicity effects on benthic macrofauna occurring as a result of agrichemical contamination, particularly in the more open areas of the harbour.

The combined Tauranga Harbour work programme between Bay of Plenty Regional Council, Western Bay of Plenty District Council and Tauranga City Council for 2015/2016 totals an eye-popping $35.9 million. This includes projects for stormwater, wastewater, sediment management, pollution prevention, sea lettuce removal, stream and erosion works - to name just a few - all with the sustainable future of the harbour in mind.

Jane Nees, Bay of Plenty regional councillor.