WASHINGTON: Nelson Mayor Rachel Reese, left, Nelson MP Nick Smith, Port Nelson Environmental Officer, Kelly Leonard and CEO of Port Nelson, Martin Byrne with a sample of sediment from around the Calwell Slipway at Port Nelson.
A $4.2 million government contribution to the remediation of Port Nelson’s Calwell Slipway has been welcomed as a major step in maintaining the region’s economy and health of the marine area. The announcement was made by environment minister Dr Nick Smith at a briefing held at the slipway, with Port Nelson representatives and Nelson Mayor Rachel Reese in attendance.
“This historic contamination problem in the Nelson Haven is a blight on our reputation as one of New Zealand’s cleanest and greenest regions. It is good that we are getting on and cleaning it up,” Dr Smith said. “Thankfully, in terms of contamination our levels are far less than in places like Europe and North America due to our smaller industrial economy,” he said.
“The current level of pollution is being contained quite well, but if left for another 50 to 100 years it will spread.” Owned and operated by Port Nelson Limited, Calwell Slipway is the third largest slipway in New Zealand, comfortably accommodating vessels up to 80m in length and up to 2500 tonnes in weight. Regularly used since 1970, historic ship repair work has contaminated the marine sediment over the years with tributyltin and copper being the main contributors.
