Resource consent and land designation applications for the Matatā Wastewater Scheme have now been lodged with the relevant local authorities.

Whakatāne District Council project manager Inka Krawczyk says three resource consent applications have been lodged with the Bay of Plenty Regional Council. “Those applications are now being assessed, and we expect the resource consents concerned to be publicly notified in the near future.”

The resource consents sought are:

• A Discharge Permit for air contaminants (odour) from the Wastewater Treatment Plant site and the pump station at the Land Application Field
• A Discharge Permit for the discharge of treated wastewater from the Matatā Wastewater Treatment Plant into land, where it may enter water, at the Land Application Field (maximum discharge of up to 605 cubic metres per day)
• A Land Use Consent for:
  • Approximately 5,500 cubic metres of earthworks on land within the Erosion Hazard Zone at the Land Application Field
  • Disturbance of land and soil resulting from approximately 4.6 hectares of vegetation clearance on land within the Erosion Hazard Zone at the Land Application Field

Meanwhile, Land Designation applications have been lodged with the Whakatāne District Council for:

• The construction, operation, maintenance and upgrading of the Matatā Wastewater Treatment Plant and associated facilities (located on Allot. 6A Matatā Parish – ML 9665)
• The environmental protection buffer for the Matatā Wastewater Treatment Plant and associated facilities
• Access to the Wastewater Treatment Plant Site
• The installation, operation, maintenance and upgrading of the treated wastewater Land Application Field and associated facilities (Pt. Allot. 273 Rangitāiki Parish – SO 332912)

Mrs Krawczyk says four tenderers for the design/build/operate contract for the treatment plant and land application field have been shortlisted and provided with interim documentation for discussion at pre-tender meetings scheduled for January 2014.

“Full tender documents will be provided once all project design matters have been finalised, resource consents have been issued and all of the conditions applying to the project are known. The design of the reticulation system is also well advanced, and we anticipate releasing tender documents for the supply of the grinder pump sets, which will be installed on all connected properties, within the next week.”