Dunedin woman Alice Peattie wants to know if her Selwyn St home is safe.
Ms Peattie (42) told the Otago Daily Times she was concerned lead contamination had been found at nearby 57 Selwyn St, in Northeast Valley, and that it could also be tainting the home she rented across the street.
She and her flatmate had been planning a vegetable garden this summer, and regularly ate raspberries and gooseberries growing in their garden.
"Our little nieces come round and eat them sometimes.
I would like to know our property is OK," she said.
Ms Peattie's flat was one of at least six homes within metres of the contaminated home at 57 Selwyn St.
Other neighbours said the street was home to a mixture of younger families and students, living in a variety of tidy and dilapidated houses.
Stuart Conley (24), who worked full-time, said he was not concerned because "I'm moving out of here at the end of the year".
But student Mark Kennard (18) said he had been "kind of worried" about the contamination.
"If it's contaminated around here, anything could be happening to us.
"We could be getting sick," he said.
He said some of his flatmates had been getting sick "randomly, for no apparent reason", although he could not say if lead was the cause, and pets and wildlife in the area seemed to be fine.
Bob Roos, a former resident at 57 Selwyn St, told the ODT he lived at the property for nearly 20 years, grew vegetables and raised children there, and did not experience health problems related to lead.
Tarlene, one of the existing tenants at 57 Selwyn St, said curious passers-by were inquiring about the contamination and one person had dropped off homemade muffins.
"We don't know many people down here [Dunedin], so for someone to do that is pretty great," she said.
