Manukau Courier20-02-07

Save the sand
Have any of the people complaining about the mangroves actually seen aerial photos of Waimahia Creek 30 years ago?
There were no mangroves then. It had lovely clean beaches where you could fish, kayak, boat, all sorts of things.
The only reason there are mangroves now is because the runoff from houses carries super-rich nutrients that make the trees grow at a very rapid (unnatural) rate.
The bridge over the motorway at Papakura also stops the flow of mangrove seeds out to sea.
There are no birds nesting in the mangroves.
In fact, because the man- groves now cover the sand, birds have stopped using the area as a resting place so there is less birdlife.
The mangroves (and pacific oysters) at Wattle Downs and Conifer Grove need removing so those areas can revert back to their sandy origins and can be enjoyed again.
In Conifer Grove, where someone has cleared some of the mangroves, there is now a bit of sandy beach where there used to be smelly mint
But whoever cleared the mangroves in Wattle Downs should have cleared them away and not just left them lying there
Anyone bringing back the sand in these areas should be applauded..

A NEWALL
Manurewa