Christchurch residents living near an odorous broken-down wastewater plant say they're insulted by the council's offer for financial support.
Bromley wastewater treatment plant Photo: Screenshot / Christchurch City Council
A million-dollar support package was agreed on by council yesterday, with $200,000 going to affected school and pre-schools, and the rest going to households in the plant's immediate vicinity.
Up to $200 will be on offer to 3380 households in Bromley to spend at their discretion, but the feeling in the community is it's too little, too late.
Long-term Bromley resident Katinka Visser counted herself lucky to live within the zone of households eligible for grants, but she said it didn't come close to costs she had already incurred.
"$200 is nothing, it's cost me $300 for an air purifier, and my power bill, I'm just scared stiff about what it's going to look like."
With prior health issues causing brain fog and an inability to drive, the nausea-inducing air quality had caused her frustration and sadness.
"I do have to try and look at the good days, it's just that the bad days knock all the good days out so quickly."
South New Brighton local Paul Durie wasn't in the zone of residents receiving a cash boost, even though he lived just two kilometres from the plant - but he said it wouldn't have made a difference anyway.
"It's an insult, I can't really put it any clearer than that."
"It won't cover even the most basic dehumidifier or air purifier, they run $300 plus - and it certainly won't cover for more than a month or two."
He thought recovery costs for the plant and the affected community would reach hundreds of millions, and said if the council didn't open its coffers now, they would pay the price later.
"They're only just scratching the surface with figuring out just how expensive the problem is going to be."
"I'm talking about the cost of the peeling paint, of the damage to vehicles, or the property damage, and long term damage to health."
Bromley resident Vicky Walker was also fed up with the outcome after lobbying the council to provide proactive support for months.
"I've spent so much time away from my job, and I'm self-employed, you know, it's a lot of work - who's going to pay me for my loss in income?"
Her husband had a lung disease and works in the area, and she said the six months since the fire had been stressful.
"It wakes us up in the night and then we can't back to sleep, it brings on anxiety for me because I need my sleep, my husband needs his sleep, he's got a lung disease."
Walker said the council could have provided a quick fix - a bulk order of air purifiers - which cost around $300 each.
City councillor Yani Johanson, who had been pushing for quicker action and wellbeing support since late last year, agreed.
"If an air purifier is one of the things that makes a big difference, then I think the call that people have made, which I endorse, is that council should be looking at purchasing bulk air purifiers, and providing them."
Council agreed yesterday to reassess the air quality of areas that had a higher number of complaints, and would include them in the grant scheme if it was justified.
Johanson also emphasised that despite worries over-spending ratepayer money, his priority was the duty of care to affected residents across the Eastern suburbs.
"I totally acknowledge that council needs to act in a financially prudent manner and not be frivolous with money, but actually, the most important thing here is the health and wellbeing of our communities."
Alongside financial support, council agreed yesterday to provide a detailed recovery plan of the wastewater treatment plant, and to investigate establishing a health register for affected residents.