Field day for Minister

The new Minister for Planning and Infrastructure William (Smiley) Heather is getting down to business for 2010 to tackle the issues of water shortages, waste management and good roading. To that end, the Minister and his top aides made a tour of inspection of the waste management facility, water intakes and roads all around Rarotonga on Wednesday morning.
The first hand inspection is very timely as the Minister will present the MOIP Infrastructure development priority programme 2010-2011 to Cabinet for their endorsement on Tuesday 26 January.
With the Minister on the field day of inspection were his CEO Tere Taio, MOIP Secretary Taukea Raui, engineering consultant Ata Herman, Adrian Teotahi from Water Works and Otheniel Tangianau. They were also joined by Tou Travel Ariki who takes a very keen interest in the work being done by the Minister.
First port of call was the waste facility where the Minister quizzed manager, Tai Nooapii what they were doing to reduce the problem of flies and plastic bags blown around by the wind, both of which problems have resulted in a flood of complaints from the public.
The manager said the main way to reduce flies is to ensure the waste is covered with earth the same day the scraps are received. Large fly traps have also been installed which has helped to reduce their numbers. A tracksavator for the facility would assist in their job because such equipment costs $2000 per day to the job whereas a machine would cost about $500,000 new.
The Minister asked if it would help if there were a banning of imports of plastic bags? Perhaps but that would have to be under the Environment Act.
The septage ponds are working reasonably well with a primary treatment pond leading into a secondary treatment pond which is sprayed on to the forest to the left and which looks very green compared to the surrounding forest on the other side.
Avatiu water catchment was the next port of call where cascades of water were flowing down the stream. Solutions to the periodic water shortages might be alleviated with adequate storage facilities, or even a small dam, to prevent the water from being wasted as it pours into the lagoon. There are many possibilities but presumably would depend on engineering feasibility, budgetary constraints and community support in order to resolve any potential land tenure issues for upstream and downstream landowners for any such scheme to work.

Herald Issue 463 10 June
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