CREATING FUTURE RESILIENCE IN AUCKLAND’S STORMWATER PONDS

Large stormwater assets such as ponds require major renewal works commonly at 20 to 30 year intervals primarily to remove sediment captured as part of their water quality treatment function. Auckland Council currently has 487 stormwater ponds within its stormwater asset register. As such, major pond renewals represent a significant capital expenditure to the Council.

As a means of gaining greater benefit from pond renewal work, Pattle Delamore Partners (PDP) on behalf of Auckland Council, has been undertaking conceptual assessments to determine if a pond can be redesigned to provide an improved multifaceted benefit to: the pond performance; the catchment wide stormwater network performance; and the surrounding community. The outcomes of these assessments are to ensure best outcomes are provided to achieve Auckland Council’s vision of creating ‘Water Sensitive Communities’.

PDP’s approach for pond redesign requires multifaceted consideration of pond, catchment and community objectives, such as: improved water quality performance; enhanced ecological diversity and connectivity; cultural recognition; integrated transport corridors, enhanced social enjoyment; and others.

This paper discusses two recent conceptual stormwater pond redesigns undertaken in the suburbs of Unsworth Heights and Point England. Discussion is provided on the assessment approach to the pond redesigns, the various drivers that were used to inform each preferred pond redesign, how each driver were integrated into assessments, and the resultant conceptual design that has now been presented to relevant local boards for consultation.