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

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