Poo-tax plan surprises kaumatua

Kaumatua at one of two marae near Puketutu Island have said yes to plans to put treated sewage on the island but say they were never told about the proposed "poo tax".

In a report to the Manukau City Council, planning consultant Barry Kaye said wastewater company Watercare Services should be allowed to put 4.4 million cubic metres of Auckland's treated sewage on the island over the next 35 years, but should pay $2 to a trust set up for local iwi for every cubic metre dumped.

Te Akitai kaumatua Brownie Rauwhero, whose Pukaki Marae is near the Manukau Harbour island, said he was not told about the suggested $2 levy when he gave evidence in front of planning commissioners last week.

He gave permission to the project on behalf of Te Akitai after Watercare took a group of people to the island and invited them to handle samples of the sewage byproduct.

"I've held it and it's just like stone ... no smell at all," he said. "It's not like raw sewage."

Auckland Regional Council and Manukau City Council are considering plans by Watercare to use treated byproduct from its Mangere wastewater treatment plant to re-soil a closed quarry on the island.

The island is marked as a waahi tapu (area sacred to Maori) in the Manukau district plan. The Herald understands representatives of Makaurau Marae oppose putting sewage there.

Makaurau Marae's representative on the issue did not return calls yesterday.

Mr Rauwhero said Puketutu was no longer tapu because of the sewage ponds that were built nearby in 1958.

But other groups within the Waikato-Tainui iwi disagree.

Mr Rauwhero said he was disappointed the council had not told him about the possibility of a waste levy.

He supported plans by Watercare to use waste to rebuild the island so it could become a public park.

Talks with Watercare had been "intense" but he hoped Te Akitai would ultimately have a say in the rehabilitation of the island.