By BERNARD ORSMAN
Auckland City Mayor Dick Hubbard has stepped in to ensure residents know whether their properties could contain dangerous levels of DDT, arsenic, lead and copper from horticultural sprays.
Mr Hubbard last night promised to release the areas where 1155 affected properties were picked up in a study and to send individual letters advising property-owners of the health risks.
This followed a fresh attempt by officers yesterday to hide the list of worst-affected suburbs and let the city's 134,000 property-owners wait for up to a week to find out if their homes are in the clear.
Many properties are known to be in Panmure, Otahuhu, Onehunga and the Rosebank Rd area of Avondale, where market gardens once flourished.
Mr Hubbard said the list would be released on Monday. A few matters had to be sorted out, such as the health risks, before letters were sent to affected property-owners next week.
The letters would advise people of what action they could take, including how to arrange soil tests.
The council only decided to inform people after the Herald was tipped off this week about a study of contamination of horticultural soils. After taking legal advice, senior officers planned to disclose the information only when properties were sold.
The study resulted in a list of 1172 properties, of which 1155 were privately owned.
Soils tests on 17 parks and reserves found isolated areas of pesticide residue, consistent with regular maintenance work such as weed control. The residues were found in areas that were inaccessible to the public or where recreational activity was unlikely.
The council yesterday named the parks as Mt Albert War Memorial Reserve, Orakei Sports Domain, Churchill Park in Glendowie, Riversdale Reserve in Avondale, and Avondale Canal Reserve.
The issue arose after the Auckland Regional Council undertook a research project in 2001 in response to foreign studies which found former horticultural land contained levels of DDT, arsenic, copper and lead exceeding health protection levels.
Contaminants in about half the 43 sites in the Auckland region exceeded "conservative guidelines for the protection of human health".
Hubbard to release details of poisoned properties
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