By Peter Griffin
A new refuse catcher in Oakley Creek, Waterview, yesterday looked like a watery rubbish tip.
Tyres, foliage, drink bottles, cans, newspapers, wrappers and even soccer balls lay piled up, washed down by Monday's torrential rain. But at least the rubbish had been trapped well away from the Waitemata, and
Auckland City hopes that is a start in cleaning up the city's harbour.
The $30,000 catcher is one of four installed around Auckland in an effort to stop the amount of residential rubbish that flows down the city's creeks and rivers into the harbour.
Specially designed stormwater screens have been installed over large stormwater outlets at Mission Bay, Cox's Creek, Oakley Creek and the Whau River.
A fifth screen, of a different design, has been built near the downtown wharf area to stop rubbish flowing into the Viaduct Basin.
The chairman of the Auckland City Council's works committee, councillor Doug Astley, says the screens are like floating litter traps, and are 70 per cent effective in removing debris from stormwater.
"They are not picking up the fine particles that flow off the roads but bigger stuff like plastic bags, cans and bottles."
The screens use the power of the water flow to trap the rubbish that gets into the drains through road grates and from houses near waterways.
A trap door on the screens opens on the outgoing tide but closes when the tide comes in, capturing the litter for removal.
Fish and marine birds are able to safely enter and leave the rubbish traps, which the council is cleaning and inspecting weekly.
Mr Astley believes more of the screens could be installed if the present five prove successful.
"There is a lot of rubbish blowing around and going down drains and out in the tide.
"If successful, the traps are one more small step towards a cleaner harbour."
