A recreational and social history of the Avon-Heathcote estuary

A report prepared for Lincoln University (Faculty of Environment, Society and Design Summer Scholarship, 2009/2010), Environment Canterbury, the Avon-Heathcote Estuary Ihutai Trust and the Tertiary Education Commission. Supervised by Dr Greg Ryan and Dr Jo Fountain.

The Avon-Heathcote Estuary has long been an important resource for the people of Canterbury. Prior to European settlement, Maori throughout the South Island used the Estuary as a mahinga kai (seafood gathering) source. As European settlers began to arrive, the Estuary became an important transport route and, later, a popular area for many different types of recreation. The suburbs around the Estuary were among some of the first to be developed by settlers due to the proximity to the sea. Since the beginning of settlement in Christchurch, the Estuary has been subjected to high levels of pollution. In the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century, waste from industrial areas and factories was drained into the Heathcote and Avon rivers, making the Estuary water increasingly more polluted. By mid-twentieth century, the Avon-Heathcote Estuary was regarded by many as nothing but a waste water discharge area. The construction of the Bromley Waste Water Treatment Plant did little to enhance the area. However, since the 1960s there have been a number of concerted efforts to improve the water quality of the Estuary and enhance the conservation and recreation values of the area. There has also been resurgence in recreational activities on and around the Estuary. It is hoped that with the completion of the ocean outfall pipe from the Bromley Waste Water Treatment Plant to offshore Pegasus Bay, the Estuary will once again become an important recreation resource for the people of Christchurch.

This research was funded by Environment Canterbury, Avon-Heathcote Estuary Ihutai Trust, Tertiary Education Commission and Lincoln University (as part of the Summer Studentship Programme).