Council Delivering On Promise For Central Hawke's Bay Wastewater Solution

Long term so­­­lutions to resolve Central Hawke’s Bay wastewater challenges have made significant progress as the Central Hawke’s Bay District Council (CHBDC) endorsed a report yesterday outlining a package of solutions in response to Environment Court Orders for the Waipawa Wastewater Treatment Plant (Waipawa WWTP).

The report is being taken to the Hawkes Bay Regional Council and the Environment Court next week in response to supplementary orders made in July 2018.

Councillors offered strong support for the report which goes beyond just managing consent compliance for Waipawa and instead presents long term solutions for the way wastewater is managed across the entire district.

The report outlined the process CHBDC followed to develop the proposed solutions including community reference group engagement to develop solution options; significant scientific and engineering research; funding and affordability assessments; interim improvements; and consultation with key stakeholders.

Long term, the community vision for this project is to treat effluent in a sustainable way that creates a resource, protects the environment, and continues to do so for generations to come. The report recommends a staged approach to delivering this long term solution which will go back out for community consultation as the design, investigation and funding options progress.

Monique Davidson, Chief Executive for CHBDC said: “This is a huge step forward for this project which focuses on intergenerational, long term solutions for how we manage wastewater in Central Hawke’s Bay.

“The council committed to investing in this process and went through rigorous analysis and community engagement to come up with the best practical solutions to remove waste from our rivers. This isn’t an overnight fix, but a package of long term solutions that will benefit our communities for generations to come.”

The report will go to both the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council on Wednesday 26 June and then to the Environment Court by 28 June.

Notes to editor:

· On 31 July 2017 the Court made Enforcement Orders (“Original Orders”) in relation to the Waipawa Wastewater Treatment Plant and on 26 July 2018 the Court made Supplementary Orders.

· The Supplementary Orders permanently suspended paragraphs 16 to 20 of the Original Orders, required further monitoring of the Waipawa Wastewater Treatment Plant (“Waipawa WWTP”) until 31 May 2019, and required a report to the Court by no later than 30 June 2019.

-ENDS-

Authorised by Chief Executive: Monique Davidson

Media contact

Monique Davidson | T 06 857 8060, M 027 422 9977

Kim Parker, Communications and Engagement Manager | M 027 297 0542

17 July 2020

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