Source: Radio New Zealand
Wellington Mayor Andrew Little took a dip in Lyall Bay on Wednesday to prove it was safe, but by Friday the Land Air Water Aotearoa (LAWA) website listed much of the south coast as being unsuitable for swimming. RNZ / Mark Papalii
The chair of Lyall Bay Surf Lifesaving club says despite the partial lifting of a rahui on Wellington’s South Coast information on offshore conditions remains unavailable.
Mayor Andrew Little took a dip in the water on Wednesday to prove residents could swim again at southern beaches after a major sewage leak at the Moa Point Wastewater Plant earlier this month pumped thousands of litres of raw sewage into the sea, closing the beaches for weeks.
He did however caveat that people should follow advice on the Land, Air, Water Aotearoa website before they dive in.
Club chair Matt Flannery said he was delighted that lifesaving teams could resume training in the bay but said ocean swimmers, kayakers and divers were still in the dark.
“The LAWA website, unfortunately, doesn’t include tests beyond the shoreline. That’s probably okay when you’re looking at shoreline discharges from stormwater drains and contaminations but it’s inappropriate when your dealing with an ocean outfall that has the potential to be coming back into the bay,” Flannery said.
“We’ve had to already make some decisions as to the limits that we feel acceptable in the bay but we would truly benefit from the experts stepping up here and giving guidance.”
Flannery said the club’s teams had been training at swim spots within the harbour ahead of the upcoming national championships next month.
He said prior to the spill nearly 70 lifesavers a day were training in the waters off Lyall Bay.
“We’ve shuffled our training around to be using locations such as Scorching Bay, Worser Bay and Evans Bay [and] we’re delighted to have access back on the beach – that’s the most important thing – but we’d just like a bit more information to reflect actually what’s going on in the bay.
“I think it’s a little bit unfair in the sense that they put the risk back on the other users, declare the beach open, without actually giving all the information that’s necessary to make an informed decision,” Flannery said.
Flannery said he raised the point at a local meeting with councillors, experts and Wellington Water staff last week.
Greater Wellington director knowledge and insights David Hipkins said the advice on the LAWA website only reflected public health advice for near shore activities.
“All samples have been taken close to the shore and not near the end of the long outfall pipe. This is why the advice from public health officials is that activities further from the shore are ‘to be conducted at people’s own risk’.”
He said the regional council was talking to the Department of Conservation and other research agencies about any additional monitoring that may be required further out to sea.
The LAWA website also advises people not to collect any kai moana from the area previously under the rahui.
“Testing of kai moana is not being undertaken by Greater Wellington and we are referring the public to advice from the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), the agency responsible for the safety of food gathered from the wild,” Hipkins said.
“MPI recommends not gathering shellfish from densely populated urban areas, areas near pipes or culverts, areas near to where wastewater or stormwater is being discharged, and to wait a few days after heavy rain before gathering shellfish.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/28/plea-for-information-on-offshore-water-quality-on-wellingtons-south-coast-after-sewage-spill/