Council washes hands on infection

Whakatane District Council has refused to act on the complaint by rugby players that wounds sustained after using the Matata field became septic, the Matata rugby club says.

Club president Tui Hunt said several players had suffered infections after playing on the Matata field. He alleged that the rashes and boils were the result of the field being contaminated with sewage after the debris flow that struck the township on May 18.

"All these things have just been happening since July. Lots of the guys have had problems," said a player who preferred not to be named. Another said he had suffered septicaemia and had to be off work for three days as he was infectious.

Mr Hunt said several players had needed medical attention for wounds that had refused to heal after several weeks. He was also concerned about young children as the junior team also used the field.

He had telephoned the council to ask if it could treat the field with lime but had been put through to an employee who told him he was not prepared to do anything.

The council's recovery manager, Diane Turner, said Mr Hunt had approached her more than a week ago and she had referred him to an environmental adviser.

If any effluent had overflowed from septic tanks, enough time had elapsed for the bacteria to be broken down by exposure to sunlight, she said.

"The club leases the land from the council. There is nothing to stop them from taking the initiative to spread lime on the field themselves," she said.

- NZPA