A new Government fund to tidy up old dump sites will see clean-up work started on a contaminated landfill in Fiordland National Park.

Little Tahiti Landfill in Milford Sound will receive $2.024 million for remediation works, from the Government’s new Contaminated Sites and Vulnerable Landfills Fund, which was launched this month.

The Little Tahiti landfill is located on the north side of the Cleddau River, within Fiordland National Park, approximately 3 km upstream of Milford Sound.

Due to the proximity of the river, the landfill is vulnerable to flooding and river scour, which are expected to be exacerbated by the effects of adverse weather events.

Because of its location, in the extremely sensitive environment of Fiordland National Park, a breach of this landfill could have significant consequences for public health, ecosystems, and the local economy.

That’s why it is so important that this funding has been made available by the Government and will support the Department of Conservation and the local community in dealing with this issue.

The start date for this project is still to be determined but should take approximately 18 months to complete.

Many areas across New Zealand bear the legacy of past dumping practices.

These sites can pose environmental risks and become a threat due to weather events, so it’s important that work to address them gets underway.

It’s estimated that there are hundreds of these sites around the country.

As well as the Fiordland site, a landfill at Ocean Beach near Bluff has also been awarded $534,750.

Work will also start there next year, fixing a site which is contaminated with asbestos.

I’m pleased that this funding has come to our province and that we can safeguard our province’s natural beauty and the wellbeing of our communities for generations to come.

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