Regulator ORC caves in to Queenstown commercial pressure

Analysis.

It’s now clear, after four years of paperwork and zero substantial action, the Otago Regional Council is not going to carry out its duty as our water regulator.

The ORC argues that by issuing two abatement notices and six infringement notices since 2021 to Queenstown’s main sewage plant that it is doing its job to protect water quality and public health.

However, the Queenstown Lakes District Council’s behaviour appears not to have changed at all as a result of the ORC’s “enforcement action.”

The plant continues to spiral towards total failure.

Be under no illusion as to how serious this is.

A failed or failing sewage plant can and does stop all new development. It’s just happened in Martinborough.

Already the problems at the Shotover plant have reached alarming levels but QLDC is continuing to issue new building permits and consenting as if everything is fine.

There are even plans to truck waste from the new housing development in Kingston to the failed Shotover plant.

QLDC are not issuing any meaningful information about the problems at the plant. Neither is the ORC. In fact, the regulator (ORC) and regulated (QLDC) are behaving like partners. That’s often the Kiwi way – “let’s keep talking it through.”

Except that’s not how the law works.

Our environmental laws and regulations are there to protect not just our natural surroundings but our health and the overall balance of our community. Even property values and industries such as tourism rely heavily on having a healthy and protected natural environment.

To have semi-treated sewage being dumped 24/7 into a local recreational reserve and a special protected status river, the Kawarau, is beyond unacceptable.

By not acting, but not communicating, by not fixing the Shotover sewage plant the QLDC is flirting with disaster. Our disaster – not theirs.

But the bigger crime lies with the Otago Regional Council. As regulator it’s their job to enforce a fix. Not to be mates with the QLDC and show sympathy for the nuclear grade commercial meltdown that will result from a halt on development.

The longer this mess drags on – the worse the damage will be.

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