18 December 2003 Media Statement
Contaminated sites funding
Grants to clean up of some of New Zealand's worst contaminated sites have been announced by Environment Minister Marian
Hobbs under the Contaminated Sites Remediation Fund.
Five regional councils will receive more than $100,000 to investigate and plan the remediation of high-risk sites around
the country.
"The government support is positive news for these regions and an important step in ensuring we live in a safe
environment," Marian Hobbs said.
Regional councils, territorial local authorities and landowners have formed effective partnerships to apply for funding.
"These relationships are critical to ensuring we identify sites that pose a risk to human health and the environment,
clean them up and monitor them properly," Marian Hobbs said.
"For the next three years we've committed a portion of the Contaminated Sites Remediation Fund to support these
partnerships."
Further applications to the fund are expected to fully clean up the sites and Regional Councils will be invited to apply
for a second funding round early next year.
The grants are:
- Auckland Regional Council -- $46,200 for site assessment of the former fertiliser works associated with the "Green
Stream" and Onehunga aquifer contamination.
- Environment Canterbury -- $29,640 for remediation planning to clean up contaminated sediments in Lyttleton Harbour
- Wellington Regional Council -- $15,749 for remediation planning to clean up contaminated sediments in the lower reach
of the Waiwhetu Stream
- West Coast Regional Council -- $25,076 for assessing a former gasworks site in Hokitika
- Environment Bay of Plenty -- $7,150 to plan the clean up of buried woodwaste contaminated with PCP and dioxin at the
Toroa and Taiwhakaea marae sites
ENDS