Residents of Bluecliffs, a small township in Southland, are currently facing significant stress and uncertainty. Last week, they were forced to evacuate their homes with only two days’ notice to clear a nearby old dumpsite filled with hazardous materials. This sudden displacement has resulted in man
Environment Southland’s latest monitoring has found high levels of potentially toxic algae in the Mataura River near the Riversdale Bridge and at the Ōreti River at Branxholme. These alerts are in addition to warnings already in place for the Mataura River at Gore and the Waituna Lagoon. The alert f
Dirty nappies and dead animals are all ending up in people’s recycled bins and WasteNet Southland is about to start an audit process to see what’s going on. According to data in a report to the Wastenet Advisory Group’s monthly meeting in Gore today, 16-17% of the recycled material is contaminated.
A Government grant of $1.35 million to clean up the Bluecliffs landfill site, is a positive step towards protecting the ecosystem and the community, Environment Minister and Invercargill MP Penny Simmonds says. “I am pleased to make this funding available to the Tuatapere community. It will address
Civil Defence Controller Simon Mapp has provided an update on the local State of Emergency in Bluecliffs, highlighting a significant development in the community’s defense against erosion. On Thursday, 22nd February, contractors for Environment Southland completed a crucial operation by cutting into
Water samples taken from the Waituna Lagoon following its opening to the sea on 31 January show water clarity has improved across all four long-term monitoring sites to within normal range, while salinity and conductivity have increased. “Visual observations at the time of sampling by experienced te
A lone rat has been found dead in a trap on Ulva Island, Rakiura triggering an incursion response. Ulva Island is a predator free island 780m off Rakiura Stewart Island, and is a popular location to experience one of the few pest-free open sanctuaries in New Zealand. Jennifer Ross, DOC Operations Ma
Environment Southland’s compliance and science teams have been investigating a report last week of dead eels in the Low Burn Stream near Mataura. Compliance manager Donna Ferguson said the team estimates several thousand dead eels over about a 10-kilometre distance. “Our staff have spent extensive t
