Flash loos coming to Pukaha Mt Bruce

Work on building what Pukaha Mt Bruce board chairman Bob Francis is describing as the best toilets from "Masterton to Taupo" will start in a month or two, along with an onsite sewage treatment plant and upgraded water system.

Mr Francis said on Friday a $100,000 grant from Eastern and Central Community Trust would help kick-start work on a $385,000 project taking in the three major improvements. "It is wonderful support from a trust which has always been behind Pukaha," Mr Francis said.

Eastern and Central Community Trust has donated more than $500,000 to Pukaha since 2000. The state-of-the-art toilets will replace ageing ones no longer up to the standard expected of visitors from throughout New Zealand and overseas.

Mr Francis said the donation gave the centre's management board the ability to help source the balance of the funding.

The Pukaha board has been heavily involved in projects that have completely altered the appearance of the visitor centre as a stage one project, then with stage two, which was the building of the new kiwi house.

Stage 3 - the toilets, sewerage plant and rainwater collection system - will take the changing face of the national wildlife centre to another level.

Mr Francis said the sewerage system would be of the highest standard and would make the old septic tank arrangement redundant.

As far as rainwater collection was concerned the work would mainly concentrate on improving water filtration and treatment, he said.

Design plans had been completed for the projects and resource consents had been granted.

However, Mr Francis said more fundraising was needed before work could start.

He hoped the projects would be finished before the peak tourism season - December to March - started.