Papamoa locals are ‘outraged' at the way the Ministry of Social Development and the Tauranga City Council have dealt with development of transitional housing on a sewerage drainage site.

Nearby residents have lodged a petition against the development of 19 transitional houses on the sewerage drainage site on 45 Opal Drive.

Papamoa resident Grahame Smith, who helped organise the petition, says a total of 112 residents have signed the petition and the documents have been presented to the TCC and MSD.

"It came as a real shock to hear about it after Social Housing Minister Alfred Ngaro had been to the site for a promotional photo opportunity,” says Grahame Smith.

"It is offensive to build homes on the old sewerage disposal site, which was previously a dog hydatids dosing strip."

Their petition calls for the cancellation of the memorandum and withdrawal of the land for lease.

Grahame says MSD have lodged a resource consent application with TCC, but have already agreed a memorandum of understanding with the council to lease the site for between 5 and 15 years.

The neighbourhood have since met with local MP Todd Muller and TCC Papamoa ward councillor Steve Morris and are waiting for further information to be provided by TCC and the minister's office.

The 19 unit villages will be positioned on the vacant 6500sq m council-owned block, where families can stay and receive support until they were ready to move into more permanent accommodation. The average stay will be about 12 weeks.

Council have advised that it intends to build a new waste water pumping station on part of the site in the next 5 years to cater for the new Papamoa East urban development's underway.