$45 million to clean up Auckland's streams

Some of Auckland's most polluted waterways will be cleaned up following a $45 million cash injection from Infrastructure Auckland.

One aim of the grants, announced yesterday, is to turn streams used as "landfills" into recreational areas.

The biggest recipient is the Waitakere City Council, which will receive $22.8 million for its Waikumete and Opanuku streams project.

"We want to turn them from tips into playgrounds," Infrastructure Auckland chairman John Robertson said yesterday.

"It is unacceptable that recreational users should catch water-borne diseases from our rivers and estuaries."

Four Auckland City Council projects are being funded to separate stormwater and wastewater flows at Pt Chevalier, Motions Creek, Orakei Basin and Upland Rd.

Other winners are the Franklin District Council, Unitec and the Grange Golf Club for improvements to stormwater systems.

Submitted for the March funding round, the grants were deferred until completion of the stormwater business plan, a joint Infrastructure Auckland and Auckland Regional Council initiative.

Gary Taylor, a member of Infrastructure Auckland, said the grants were the biggest single day's investment in environmental enhancement for Auckland.

"It should make a significant difference to the quality of the harbour by reducing silt and heavy metal contamination from storm water."

In some Auckland estuaries, contaminants have exceeded internationally recognised limits for safety of aquatic life.

A report in March said $11 billion needed to be spent over 20 years to raise quality standards in beaches and waterways.

However, the seven greater Auckland councils cannot afford to carry out effective stormwater works on their own - their combined stormwater works programme is about $1.9 billion spread over 20 years.