Whangarei District Council says it's going to take $45 million and another nine years to stop sewage spills in Whangarei harbour.
The council has approved a strategy that it says will put an end to constant pollution of the harbour by overflowing sewers, during heavy rain.
Cr Crichton Christie says spending of $5 million this year has fixed one of the prime offenders - a pumping station at Okara.
He says another $11 million worth of work over the next three years will further reduce spills.