The Whakatāne District Council’s Policy Committee has agreed to commit up to $200,000 to investigate alternative wastewater treatment plant and land disposal sites, or other potential options, for Matatā’s stalled wastewater scheme.

Resource and land-use consents for the scheme’s treatment plant site were declined by the Environment Court in April. While the basis for the original appeals against the wastewater treatment system resource consents were not upheld, the court declined the designations on the basis that it could not be satisfied that the operation of the treatment plant would not result in objectionable odour beyond the boundary of the proposed Matatā Lot 6A site, and that there was a failure to adequately assess alternative sites for the plant. The Council decided not to appeal those decisions to the High Court, due to the cost and time involved in that process and uncertainty about the outcome, given that at best, the decisions were likely to be referred back to the Environment Court for further consideration.

The continued availability of Ministry of Health and Bay of Plenty Regional Council funding for the scheme has been confirmed, and the Council has set out a three-month project plan to confirm any suitable alternative sites for a treatment plant site, or a treatment plant site and land disposal field for the treated effluent, or any other viable options, such as pumping wastewater to other centres for treatment.

Reporting to the Committee, Project Manager Inka Krawczyk said a desktop study had identified more than 60 potential sites in the vicinity of Matatā, based on topography, height above sea level and property size.

“Council representatives will now make contact with the owners of those properties to check whether they have any interest in considering a lease or property purchase arrangement,” she said. “From the shortlist of properties provided, we will then undertake a comprehensive constraints analysis of the suitability of the land involved.”

The project plan anticipates a comparative analysis of the possible sites being completed by the end of August, with a parallel study of alternative solutions, such as the pumping of wastewater from either Matatā, or Matatā and Edgecumbe, to Kawerau or Whakatāne, also to be completed by the same time.

Councillors also supported a recommendation for a higher level of engagement with the Matatā community on the investigation process, to ensure that the significant majority of residents who favour the introduction of a wastewater scheme can voice their support.