River bank clean up after story

My moaning actually worked - it's marvellous.River Rd resident Gary Watt Masterton's river guardian is pleased that his "moaning" got a result - and a "marvellous one".

River Rd resident Gary Watt alerted the Times-Age after Greater Wellington Regional Council felled hundreds of willow trees along the banks of the Ruamahanga and Waipoua Rivers - and left piles of severed branches lying on the riverbanks.

The day after the Times-Age published a lead article on the subject, Mr Watt discovered the council had removed the felled branches and lowered the jagged stumps.

The Times-Age visited the site on May 31, and discovered that the banks had indeed been cleaned up.

"My moaning actually worked - it's marvellous," says Mr Watt.

"I heard the machines coming in about 10 this morning. That whole corner of the river had been cleaned up. The council did a great job."

Mr Watt was concerned that the felled branches would not only "make the area look bad", but would pose a hazard to the public.

"Put it this way - the kids can go down to the river and play now it's been cleaned up." he says.

"It looks much better."

The Times-Age had contacted the council last Tuesday regarding Mr Watt's concerns.

Wairarapa flood protection section leader Mike Longworth said he was unhappy with the mess left along the riverbanks, and confirmed that the council would arrange machines to lower the stumps and mulch the branches.

Mr Watt said he would like to congratulate the council for "getting started so quickly" after the Times-Age story.