Tauranga Mayor Stuart Crosby and Otumoetai Intermediate student Jack Morgan met at the Carlton Reserve stormwater drain, which backs onto the school, on Thursday afternoon to discuss pollution there.

Jack holds some of the trash that pollutes the waterway next to his school, after securing the support of Mayor Stuart Crosby to help clean it up.

The meeting came about following Jack's writing of a letter to his school principal, Henk Popping, about how the water there was polluted. Henk saw the value Jack's complaint and forwarded the letter to the mayor.
The letter highlighted how ducks that used to live in the water there no longer did and that the discolouration of the water was very bad.
"I have seen fish in the water, but wonder how they are alive," he writes.
"The water is green and slimy, with oil and what looks like blue paint floating on the surface.
"I am really concerned about the wildlife. These animals need our help and stop the pollution of their natural habitat."
At the meeting Jack showed Stuart the polluted water, where there was a cone and tyre strewn in the water.
Stuart was concerned about what he saw and said he would see to it that the council and school would form a partnership and develop a programme to clean up the water.
He was impressed by Jack's passion for the environment and he agreed that it is important to keep waterways clean.