Flies reach epidemic level in Arorangi

The Ruaau resident’s group which has been lobbying government to improve their water supply has also drawn government’s attention to resident’s concerns over the rubbish tip at the Waste Management Project.
The group’s spokesperson Ngamau Wichman told the Herald, the concerns are health related in that the tip has become a major breeding area for flies and rats and other vermin. Local households have borne the brunt of Biblical like infestation.
Wichman says the flies are present in large numbers even at night. Indeed most of Arorangi seems to have become a victim of the fly.
She said the group visited the rubbish tip and was appalled at the situation which has been allowed to develop there. Flies and rats have become the true beneficiaries of the waste management project.
When they approached the Ministry of Planning and Infrastructure to voice their concerns, Engineer Tekau Herrmann informed them there was little that could be done because only $30,000 was allocated to the rubbish tip operation.
Waste arriving at the tip is not separated and there is a vast mixture of food scraps, plastics, paper, metal cans, glass bottles and other forms of scrap discarded by households. A fire at the tip recently resulted in clouds of toxic smoke affecting local residents for over a week.
Ideally, the rubbish should be covered with a layer of soil daily but Herrmann informed the group more funds would be needed.
Wichman said government did not give much thought to the social impact or consequences of the tip on the nearby community. Unfortunately, “out of sight in the hills” is not an acceptable strategy and government planners needed to tackle the problems at the tip with some urgency.
The designers of the facility also failed to consider the consequences of persistent heavy rain on the two sewerage settling ponds below the rubbish tip. In heavy rain, these ponds containing raw sewerage, overflow and the waste travels across the road and down a nearby creek to the lagoon.
Any designer should be aware that in the tropics it rains heavily.
Wichman said the group wanted to go public on the issue of the tip because government appeared to be doing little to resolve the problem. Everyone needed to be aware of the health risk.

Herald Issue 439 11 February
- ‘I wanted to finish 3 years ago’ - Sam Pera Jnr?
- Government hangs Ruaau out to dry
- Flies reach epidemic level in Arorangi
- Economic Summits – Talking the Talk or Walking the Talk
- Parliament: Deregistration, Fuel farm and OIA amendment

Herald Issue 445 04 February
- The third political party: Why?
- Christmas message
- New Party will offer decisive leadership
- 2008 Kokonati Oscars of the year !
- Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year