The direct discharge of wastewater from Queenstown\u2019s Shotover treatment plant into the Kawarau River has been chosen as a \u2018\u2018compromise\u2019\u2019 solution after an extended debate at a Queenstown Lakes District Council meeting yesterday.<\/p>\n
After spending the past five months considering options for replacing the plant\u2019s failed disposal field on the Shotover delta, councillors voted 8-3 to adopt the \u2018\u2018Option 1\u2019\u2019 recommendation of staff, which is to convey the plant\u2019s treated wastewater to the Kawarau River by a pipeline and discharge it via a rock-lined channel.<\/p>\n
The decision came after an amended resolution, tabled by Mayor John Glover, failed to win support.<\/p>\n
It proposed the council apply to the Environment Court for a 12-month extension to a suite of deadlines the court imposed on the council last June.<\/p>\n
It also sought to direct further investigation of land and hybrid land\/water disposal options, an expedited and cheaper direct discharge to the Kawarau River and more engagement with iwi and the wider community.<\/p>\n
It was supported by only four councillors, including Cr Niki Gladding, who said she feared approving Option 1 could prompt a legal challenge.<\/p>\n
Cr Gladding said she was not necessarily opposed to discharging to water, but wanted more time so councillors could consider options that were more than \u2018\u2018conceptual\u2019\u2019.<\/p>\n
Cr Gavin Bartlett tabled an alternative amendment to approve Option 1, but continue work on identifying potential alternative long-term disposal options, and keep engaging with iwi and the wider community.<\/p>\n
Staff would present a report next March for councillors to make a final decision on the long-term solution, including whether to retain Option 1, shift to an alternative option, or use a combination of both.<\/p>\n
It would allow the council to comply with the court\u2019s deadlines, but leave open the possibility to \u2018\u2018change course\u2019\u2019 after more analysis and consultation, he said.<\/p>\n
His amendment was supported by Crs Matt Wong, Jon Mitchell, Nicola King, Melissa White, Cody Tucker, Stephen Brent and Heath Copland.<\/p>\n
Cr Mitchell said it was a \u2018\u2018compromise\u2019\u2019 solution, but would \u2018\u2018expedite getting out of the situation we\u2019re in … and actively pursuing what other options might be available\u2019\u2019.<\/p>\n
Cr King said the \u2018\u2018really hard\u2019\u2019 decision challenged her environmental values, but Option 1 was likely to be part of any future hybrid land\/water solution anyway, so there was no point in delaying it for 12 months.<\/p>\n
Cr White said it was a \u2018\u2018middle ground\u2019\u2019 option that dealt with the current disposal into the Shotover River, but allowed work to continue on finding a better solution.<\/p>\n
Council managers invoked emergency powers last March to begin discharging the plant\u2019s output directly into the Shotover River.<\/p>\n
An enforcement order by the Environment Court three months later required the council to lodge a consent application for a long-term disposal option by May 30, and to have the system operating by the end of 2030.<\/p>\n
In his report for councillors, infrastructure operations manager Simon Mason said Option 1 would provide the most certainty for dealing with wastewater flows out to 2060, was the cheapest at an estimated $44million, and could be completed by the 2030 deadline.<\/p>\n
It included the installation of an additional filtration system before the final UV disinfection stage.<\/p>\n
His report included three other disposal options, all in the vicinity of the plant, which it estimated to cost between $80m and $206m.<\/p>\n
A fifth option, with a price tag of up to $650m, proposes piping the plant\u2019s wastewater 15km uphill to a 288ha swathe of the Crown Terrace for disposal on land.<\/p>\n
It was explicitly ruled out for further consideration by yesterday\u2019s decision.<\/p>\n