Dear acting Mayor Cashmore, councillors and council executives, I attended the Isthmus Water Quality meeting in Western Springs yesterday. I would like to repeat our support for the planned $1.8billion Central Interceptor project in general. Specifically, from a Chamberlain Park perspective any work that is done to fix the polluted Meola Creek is warranted - the many golfers who use Chamberlain Park fully appreciate how toxic this area is. In fact we have brought to the attention of park officals that on occasion dead birds are found in the creek. At the meeting we were told that: • It would be at least five years for the project to be completed • That Meola Creek would still have flood issues – more than any of the other creeks • The true efficacy of the project would only be fully known when the system was up and running • The budgeting for the project was still to be secured through the long term plan Given the above, Save Chamberlain Park would like to seriously question the logic of Albert Eden Local Board’s hell bent pursuit of the redevelopment of approximately 20% of Chamberlain Park traversed by Meola Creek – work is planned to commence at the beginning of next year; even before funding for the Central Interceptor project is secured. We strongly oppose the Local Board’s shortsighted plans and indeed have suggested that should picnic, walk and bikeways be desired that these could be accommodated without impacting the current golfing layout. But that aside, surely it would be prudent for the Local Board to hold off spending rate payer money whilst so much uncertainty remains and given that any work done will face the same existing pollution issues until works are completed on the Central Interceptor. Finally, the artist’s impression supplied by the Local Board to promote the area would suggest that the new plantings would be prone to flooding especially if, as the impression suggests, the “normal” level of Meola Creek is going to be raised by some 3 metres. Yours sincerely Geoff Senescall Chair of Save Chamberlain Park Inc