Free school buses planned for Rotorua, Whakatāne students as BOPRC gets brave
12 May, 2021 06:00 PM
6 minutes to read
Big moves have been made to enable school children in Rotorua and Whaktāne to catch the bus for free. Photo / Getty Images
Big moves have been made to enable school children in Rotorua and Whaktāne to catch the bus for free. Photo / Getty Images
Bay of Plenty Regional Council has voted to extend Tauranga s successful trial of free bus fares for school children to Rotorua and Whakatāne.
The move has been met with applause from Rotorua education leaders. The
Whareroa Marae (File image).
Photo: RNZ / Te Aniwa Hurihanganui
In April, alarm bells rang when the chemical, used in some firefighting foams, was detected near Whareroa Marae following the review of a contaminated land assessment part of a resource consent application.
The concentrations of PFAS detected in the open drain next to the airport and at the outlet of this drain into the harbour do not exceed the recreational human health guideline adopted by central government.
Further testing done by Bay of Plenty Regional Council has now found no PFAS in soil at the marae, nearby recreation and residential areas, or in further sampling undertaken in the hangi pit.
Plastic spill into Whakatāne River investigated by regional council
11 May, 2021 07:29 PM
2 minutes to read
A plastic spill into the Whakatāne River is being investigated by the Bay of Plenty Regional Council.
The discharge of plastic particles into the river last week was accompanied by a strong sulphur-like smell which the council has tracked to at least three potential sources in the area.
Compliance manager Stephen Mellor said the council first received a call about the plastic discharge via its Pollution Hotline on Tuesday afternoon.
The council s compliance and maritime staff alongside the Whakatane District Council worked until Friday afternoon to clean up the plastic particles and are continuing to monitor the area.
Press Release – Bay of Plenty Regional Council Bay of Plenty Regional Councils initial investigation into the presence of PFAS in the Whareroa area is now complete. The final test results showed no PFAS compounds could be detected in the soils at the marae, nearby recreation and residential areas, …
Bay of Plenty Regional Council’s initial investigation into the presence of PFAS in the Whareroa area is now complete. The final test results showed no PFAS compounds could be detected in the soils at the marae, nearby recreation and residential areas, or in further sampling undertaken in the hangi pit.
General Manager of Regulatory Services Sarah Omundsen says staff met with residents last night to update them on the results and discuss the next stage of this investigation.