Project Little Oneroa is encouraging residents to grab the chance for Auckland Council help with septic tank upgrades.
The council has sent letters to Little Oneroa catchment residents about the Retrofit Your Septic Scheme, which provides loans of between $2000 and $35,000 to upgrade or replace septic tank systems.
The loans can be paid back through the property owner’s rates over 15 years. Subsidies on building and resource consent fees are also available for properties in the catchment area.
Contact with water in Little Oneroa Stream has been deemed unsafe for more than 20 years, says Project Little Oneroa community engagement coordinator Kristin Busher.
A major cause of E-coli bacteria in the stream is contamination from poorly functioning septic systems from some of the 300 properties that border the stream.
Ducks also contribute to pollution in the lagoon, says Ms Busher .
Project Little Oneroa asked the council to include the catchment in the septic tank loan scheme, after it was successfully introduced at Piha and Bethells Beach on Auckland’s west coast.
“This is a great opportunity for catchment residents to upgrade their system if they otherwise would not have the means to do so,” says Ms Busher.
Project Little Oneroa, which is managed by Waiheke Resources Trust and funded by Waiheke Local Board, can support residents through the loan application process.
The group will hold a public meeting for property owners to meet with wastewater designers and other experts.
For further information, contact Kristin at info@wrt.org.nz or 372 2915.
• Rose Davis
