More probes into air pollution

File photo

There is to be further investigation into Ngongotaha's air pollution issues, including a look at possible health implications for locals.

The Bay of Plenty Regional Council held a public meeting in the town this week to address residents' concerns about ongoing issues from the industrial area in and around Wikaraka St.

Regional councillor Lyall Thurston said he and fellow Rotorua-based regional councillors Neil Oppatt and Arapeta Tahana attended the meeting, along with two Rotorua District Council representatives, a large number of regional council staff, industry representatives and Ngongotaha residents.

"We listened very seriously to their [residents'] concerns which clearly have been ongoing," Mr Thurston said. "We acknowledge that there is an issue."

He said residents talked about odour, dust, smoke, noise, traffic and many were concerned about health issues and potential respiratory problems.

Regional council pollution prevention team leader Steve Pickles said it was a positive meeting. He said an independent engineer's report would be commissioned to look at the boiler operation at Mamaku Sawmilling Company, where the odour seemed to be coming from. That should be back by the end of October.

Regional council staff would also set up dust management plans at several industrial sites and work with the businesses to reduce dust while the district council would be assessing noise and traffic levels, he said. Some residents would also keep odour and dust diaries, he said.

Mr Thurston said there were some "pretty mouth-dropping concerns" raised, so the three councillors at the meeting had agreed to request a report from Toi Te Ora - Public Health Service.

Mr Thurston said staff were also looking into the feasibility of setting up a dedicated hotline for residents to report problems and had taken contact details of all at the meeting so they could be kept informed of progress.

Mr Pickles said while some residents took the chance to "vent", the mood at the meeting was constructive, he said. "No one there wants the [industrial sites] shut down. They're important to the local community and economy ... they just want to know what's going on."

Tamaki St resident Andrew Smith said the meeting went well and everyone got to "say their bit".

However given the long history of issues in the area, he admitted he was 50/50 on whether the agreed action plan would make a difference.

Mr Smith spoke to the Rotorua Daily Post in July after Mamaku Sawmilling Company, which operates a mill on Wikaraka St, discharged soot and wood waste outside of its boundaries after an operational problem.

The sawmilling firm could not be reached for comment yesterday, however it's believed senior staff were at the public meeting. Mr Pickles stressed the sawmill was one of several industrial sites in the area and it had been making big efforts to correct problems with its boiler.