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Waiwhetū Stream

Environmental issues in New ZealandHutt ValleyLower HuttRivers of the Wellington RegionUse New Zealand English from May 2023
Water pollution in New Zealand
Waiwhetū Stream 02
Waiwhetū Stream 02

The Waiwhetū Stream is a small watercourse in Lower Hutt, in the North Island of New Zealand. The stream drains the eastern side of the Hutt Valley, and enters Wellington Harbour at the Hutt River estuary. Development and urbanisation of the Hutt Valley since the arrival of settlers led to increasing pollution and degradation of the stream environment. The stream was diverted into concrete culverts in some sections in an attempt to reduce flooding. Industrial development in the area around the lower reaches of the stream led to that section becoming an industrial sewer. Discharges of industrial waste into the lower reaches ceased in the 1980s when trade wastes were connected to piped sewer mains. However, the stream remained highly polluted with toxic sediments. In 2010, the stream was described as one of the most polluted waterways in New Zealand. Pressure from the community beginning around 2003 helped to trigger a major project to clean up the lower reaches. This project was declared complete in June 2010, after the removal of 56,000 tonnes of toxic waste. In 2010–2011, a community group was formed to lead restoration of the upper reaches of the stream. Over a period of 10 years, volunteers cleared invasive aquatic weeds and rubbish from six kilometres (3.7 mi) of the stream bed and established around 34,000 locally sourced native plants on the banks of the stream.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Waiwhetū Stream (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Waiwhetū Stream
Riverside Drive Central, Lower Hutt Waiwhetū

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Wikipedia: Waiwhetū StreamContinue reading on Wikipedia

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N -41.221 ° E 174.924 °
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Address

Riverside Drive Central

Riverside Drive Central
5010 Lower Hutt, Waiwhetū
Wellington, New Zealand
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Waiwhetū Stream 02
Waiwhetū Stream 02
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Lower Hutt Central Fire Station
Lower Hutt Central Fire Station

Lower Hutt Central Fire Station is a former fire station in Lower Hutt, New Zealand. When it was built in 1955 it was considered to be one of the most modern fire stations in the southern hemisphere.The fire station is strongly influenced by the work of architect Frank Lloyd Wright. It was designed to represent a post war, modern city, with expanding industry and state housing projects.The building along with the Lower Hutt town hall, civic administration building and war memorial library saw the city become a symbol of post-war modernist construction during the 1950s.When the station first opened it included such features as a control room where the fire engines could be started and stopped remotely, and the appliance doors could open automatically. It was the first fire station in New Zealand to have the technology to record calls.In the mid-2000s, the New Zealand Fire Service reviewed its coverage of Lower Hutt. On 15 January 2007, the station closed along with fire stations at Petone and Point Howard, with crews and engines split between three new stations at Alicetown, Avalon and Seaview. These three career stations are backed up by volunteer brigades at Stokes Valley, Wainuiomata and Eastbourne. Since then, the building has been unoccupied and suffered from vandalism. In 2010 the station was officially protected from demolition by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust (since renamed to Heritage New Zealand).The station was purchased by property developer Mike Friday in November 2015, who is planning to renovate the station into apartments.