Residents of Mapua will be given free check-ups by doctors following a cleanup of a former pesticide plant in the town.
Residents say they were exposed to toxic chemicals and suffered ill health during the clean-up of the Fruitgrowers Chemical Company site near Nelson.
Measures to address these concerns were announced by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of the Environment on Thursday.
They include blood tests for dioxin exposure for people living near the site, free GP checkups and funding for a study of their chemical exposure.
The Mapua and Districts Community Association says it's a step in the right direction, but testing should have been done years ago.
