Tauranga City Council to address pollution at Mount Maunganui

Air pollution and air quality standards were discussed at hui at Whareroa marae last month. Photo / File

Tauranga City Council has today agreed to work with the Bay of Plenty Regional Council to explore the possibility of a future managed retreat of polluting industries, from the Hewletts Rd industrial area in Mount Maunganui.

The Whareroa marae community has called for a cross-agency approach to deal with air quality impacts and other issues arising from industrial activities in its neighbourhood.

Tauranga City Council and Bay of Plenty Regional Council have been working with Government agencies including WorkSafe, Toi Te Ora and the Ministry for the Environment, and the Whareroa community, to consider issues stemming from the close proximity of industry to the marae's longstanding kāinga residential activities.

That follows a June presentation by representatives of the marae to the Tauranga Moana Advisory Group.

It recommended: "The urgent development of an Action Plan in collaboration with Whareroa marae hau kāinga, and as a first step: commission an independent, comprehensive report to investigate the potential for instigating a managed retreat of pollutant industries from the Totara Rd site south of Hewletts Rd and report back to this committee when completed."

As the authority responsible for land use and the zoning of the area, the city council has agreed to seek an initial scoping and issues report to consider options for a potential future managed retreat.

The regional council is responsible for air quality management and last week agreed to commission a health study, in conjunction with the Bay of Plenty District Health Board and Western Bay Primary Health Organisation, to assess the impact of air pollution on Whareroa residents.

Tauranga mayor Tenby Powell said in a press release this afternoon the build-up of industry around the marae over many decades had clearly had an impact on the Whareroa community's wellbeing.

"There are a number of issues in play here, such as relationships between councils and tangata whenua, potential human health impacts of the wider community and significant commercial interests," he said.

"It is important that all parties work together to understand the issues and find solutions. It will also be important to find ways to mitigate any impacts through air quality improvements in the short to medium-term."