Wastewater outfall project cost balloons

The price of the biggest environmental construction project ever undertaken in Auckland's North Shore City is skyrocketing. The city's proposed new tunnel and outfall will take highly treated effluent 2.8 kilometres out to sea from its existing wastewater treatment plant.

It will replace the existing system which only runs 600 metres from the shore.

Last year it was estimated the project would cost $75 million dollars, but that has risen to $94 million.

The city council is putting the increase down to inflationary pressure and a high level of construction activity. The project is due to start in 2008.

- NEWSTALK ZB