Doco claims pollution horror

ANDY JACKSON/Taranaki Daily News

RIVER RAGE: Manukorihi Pa Trust members, from left, Ian Ngaia, Doug Puke, Rawiri Doorbar, Huia Morehu, David Rogers and Robbie Taylor are angry at the continued sewerage waste running into the Waitara river.

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A documentary exposing the Waitara River as one of the most polluted in the country – and slamming Taranaki authorities for doing little about it – airs tonight.

Taradise Lost, produced by Maori Television, claims the effect of sewage and industrial waste has made the river toxic and has ruined traditional seafood grounds.

In the documentary, iwi blame the pollution on the Taranaki Regional Council, claiming it is not protecting the environment.

They say the New Plymouth District Council is also at fault, as it has enough money to pay for new sewerage for Waitara but has chosen to spend money on the coastal walkway and sports stadium upgrades instead.

The documentary is based on damning statistics released last year which showed the Waitara River had the worst water clarity and faecal contamination of all rivers surveyed in New Zealand.

Historically, that pollution came from phenomenal amounts of freezing works discharge – for example, the amount piped out in 1975 was equivalent to that produced by a population of 200,000.

The Waitara population at the time was only 5500.

Currently, the Taranaki Regional Council says, the high levels of bacteria in the water are from dairy farming.

That river water, and the waste pumped through the offshore Waitara outfall, are said to be the cause of dying shellfish and sea life near the offshore reef.

Permits allow up to 37 million litres of sewage and industrial waste to go through the Waitara outfall each day.

That figure is made up of seven million litres of treated sewage from NPDC; and permits for 13 million litres of treated waste, 5 million litres of industrial waste and sewage, and 12 million litres of industrial waste from three major industries.

Currently, two of those major industries are not using their consents, however, but iwi members quoted in the documentary are adamant it should be fixed.

Iwi are also opposing the district council's resource consent application to continue discharging sewage into the sea for another 10 years.

The hearing is expected to be held in August at Waitara's Owae Marae.

The Taranaki Regional Council is looking for a commissioner with Maori expertise for the hearing.

Taradise Lost will screen tonight at 8.30pm on Native Affairs.

- © Fairfax NZ News