Ohakea community water supply issues to be resolved

Horizons Regional Council are pleased to hear the Minister for the Environment’s announcement last night that Government will fund $10.8 million towards the cost of rural water supply to the community affected by contamination of water by firefighting chemicals at Ohakea Airbase.
 

Minister David Parker says that around 85 rural properties will be supplied with reticulated clean drinking and stock water rather than having to rely on tanks and bores.
 
“For the past two years the Ohakea community has been relying on temporary supplies provided by the NZ Defence Force,” says Mr Parker.
 
Horizons chief executive Michael McCartney says it is great to finally have central government commit a financial contribution and provide some assurance to the community that a solution is coming. 
 
“However we are still keen to discuss what an ongoing monitoring programme will look like and the need for central government to fund it,” says Mr McCartney.
 
“What we know is that there is a significant contamination in the groundwater and nearby waterways that is going to spread in the next 50-100 years.
 
“Contamination events such as this not only creates public health concerns, they can have long term social-economic impacts.
 
“An ongoing monitoring regime is essential for tracking progress of the contaminant to ensure responsiveness to any future health or environmental issues are addressed promptly.”