Kicking Up A Stink About Sewage Pit

The Dunedin City Council has pooh-poohed the proposal to relocate the
Warrington Playground sewage pit. Blueskin Bay residents were nearly
unanimous with 95% of respondents to the Warrington Reserve Group's
recent survey asking for its removal.

DCC city environment manager Tony Avery told 'Blueskin News' "I can
report that in response to the issue being raised previously at the
Waikouaiti Coast Community Board, about 12 months ago a cover was
placed on the dump site, a tap has been fixed as requested by the
Board and signage of the dump site has been improved. There are no
current plans to relocate either the dump site or the playground.

"If there are further issues around the location of the dump site that
the community want considered, they should raise them with the
community board and/or make a submission to the Council's annual plan
round where they will be able to be considered," Tony said.

Warrington resident Tony Brett has seen untreated sewage ponding on
the ground on several occasions. "It overflows around the whole area.
It flows down the path and pools in the vehicle ruts. I've even seen
sewage splashed on to the tap. Kids drink from that tap. There's
always going to be a degree of spillage. To have this happening metres
away from a children's playground is a gross and unacceptable health
hazard, verging on ludicrous."

The sewage pit is for campervan users to empty their toilets. The
Warrington Reserve Group proposed relocating it to the sewage pumping
station on the gravel drive to the Bay. "It needs to be as far as
possible from where children are playing but have easy access for
motor homes," group spokesperson Karen Hobday said. "We just want to
meet everybody's needs." Karen pointed out that the survey gave high
approval of campervans (87.5%) and tents (85%) on the Domain.

The Warrington Reserve Group survey, which also covered landscaping,
environmental and recreation issues, took place in June. The survey
results were published in last month's 'Blueskin News'. The playground
sewage pit drew the highest response to any question in the survey,
with one respondant commenting "tell DCC [to] move it or lose it."

ends

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