In passing sentence, Judge Dwyer said the discharge was a result of gross negligence and significant failures. The spill was the result of a series of failures, including not closing a valve on a bund which should have contained any spill. The oil, despite being refined, is still toxic to sea life.
Supplied
The rainbow sheen of oil visible in the water of Seaview Marina, looking east towards the stormwater outlet. ”Given the proximity to the marina and the direct connection to the stormwater system, they should have been aware of the risks; processes should have be undertaken with the highest degree of care.”
At one point, KiwiRail chief executive Greg Miller mentioned the prospect of shifting the port from Wellington altogether. Ponter said he interpreted Miller’s idea as an ultimatum – a way of getting the other two parties to agree to KiwiRail’s preferred location for the ferry terminal. “I felt it was intended as an ultimatum,” Ponter said, although he didn’t take it seriously, given that moving the ferry to Napier would make little commercial sense. A ferry from Napier would take hours longer than the Wellington-to-Picton journey. “I dismissed it out of hand as being illogical – I didn’t take it seriously as a proposition and I think ultimately neither did KiwiRail,” he said.
News from Plimmerton Flood Action Group
Plimmerton residents have issued a stark warning to Porirua City councillors, saying lives are at risk until action is taken to remedy the area’s inadequate stormwater system.
“Years of underinvestment, poor design and neglect have left many parts of Porirua with a stormwater system that simply isn’t up to the job. This has now proven to have had a devastating impact on Plimmerton and Karehana Bay, with more than 60 properties affected,” said Grace Allum, a spokesperson for the Plimmerton Flood Action Group.
“The rainfall on 29 November was major, but this isn’t a one-off event. The stormwater system in the Plimmerton area cannot cope with any sort of heavy rainfall. Some homes have flooded three times in the last five years. This is our reality. If the council doesn’t take action now then, one day, someone is going to drown,” councillors were told yesterday at the final Porirua City Council meeting of the year. “Significan
Press Release – Plimmerton Flood Action Group Plimmerton residents have issued a stark warning to Porirua City councillors today, saying lives are at risk until action is taken to remedy the areas inadequate stormwater system. Years of underinvestment, poor design and neglect have left …
Plimmerton residents have issued a stark warning to Porirua City councillors today, saying lives are at risk until action is taken to remedy the area’s inadequate stormwater system.
“Years of underinvestment, poor design and neglect have left many parts of Porirua with a stormwater system that simply isn’t up to the job. This has now proven to have had a devastating impact on Plimmerton and Karehana Bay, with more than 60 properties affected,” said Grace Allum, a spokesperson for the Plimmerton Flood Action Group.
Thursday, 17 December 2020, 2:35 pm
Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier says holding government to
account is never more important than in a time of
crisis.
Mr Boshier says the highlight of the year
ending 30 June 2020 was managing a busy, and expanding,
programme of work, while providing independent oversight of
the impact of government actions to combat
COVID-19. The pandemic which swept the world in 2020
is undoubtedly the defining event of the past year. It has
also further defined the role of Ombudsman.
Mr
Boshier says the need is stronger than ever to encourage
public trust in government by making sure people are treated