Big clean-up to tackle illegal rubbish dumping in Ha'apai [1]
Friday, September 10, 2010 - 18:29. Updated on Saturday, May 17, 2014 - 18:35.
A MAJOR Clean Up Campaign initiated by an Air New Zealand "Green Team" begins next week in Ha'apai, targeting illegal rubbish dumps in Lifuka, putting up rubbish bins and setting up a transfer station on the island from where rubbish can be shipped to Tongatapu for disposal.
Tapu Panuve, a volunteer for the campaign to run from September 13-17, said that the Air New Zealand Regional Director, Ian Collier, was in Tonga recently and met with Prime Minister Hon Dr Feleti Sevele to plan the clean-up.
He said it was identified that Ha'apai was the most beautiful of the outer islands but its scenery and environment was being ruined by careless disposal as there were no proper rubbish dumps on the island.
The Air New Zealand Green Team, including Ian Collier, Di Paton, Joe Hala, Clinton Parkes, Gary Keller, Grant Robinson, Sonia Renaut, Nicola Russell and Liesl Fountain with Tapu Panuve and Rob Solomon the PM's Economic Advisor, will fly to Ha'apai on September 13.
Campaign launch
The team will launch the campaign by meeting with town officers, villagers and stakeholders and will set up a transfer station at the Pangai wharf from where rubbish may be shipped down to Tongatapu to be disposed of at at the new Tapuhia Rubbish Dump.
On September 14-16 volunteers will pick up and clean up rubbish at illegal dumpsites on Lifuka, to be followed by an awareness campaign in schools and communities.
The team will also distribute household and retail colour-coded bags for waste management so that residents could sort their rubbish according to its type, such as paper or plastics.
They plan to install 25 rubbish bins and two billboards at key locations on Lifuka and Foa.
Tapu said that the campaign would engage with the community, Ministry of Health, government departments, and the Tonga Defence Service in Ha'apai to make it a success.
In committing to minimising aviation's impact on the environment Air New Zealand set up the Green Team to promote environmental sustainability at work and at home - a scheme supported by more than 2000 Air New Zealand staff.