'Kids, kaumātua getting headaches'
But a nearby company say their staff do not suffer poor health and local councils believe a managed retreat of heavy industry would be very challenging.
Whareroa Marae is tucked into the inner Tauranga Harbour moana and its community have been voicing concerns about air quality for years.
In 2019, the air over the Mount Maunganui industrial area - which includes the marae - was officially classed as polluted and last year, a working group was set up to address the issue.
This year, alarm bells rang again when PFAS - toxic substances associated with firefighting foam - were detected in groundwater near the marae.
While the marae has been given the all clear on PFAS, environmental spokesperson Joel Ngatuere believed the air quality still made his community suffer.
Link to article: Mount Maunganui marae still on quest for industrial neighbours to move: 'Kids, kaumātua getting headaches' | RNZ News
