(Some) QLDC councillors provide their position on sewage crisis

You have asked whether we “support the proposal being considered by QLDC to use emergency RMA powers to discharge partially treated effluent into the Shotover River”.

To be clear, the effluent is fully treated (not partially, as stated in your question) and meets the conditions of the current discharge Resource Consent.

This is a difficult situation to be in, and as with many matters that come before elected members, I do not have a simple yes/no answer.  I will offer an answer as to where I currently stand, but note that it is qualified by a number of reasons and would appreciate if these could be acknowledged.

At this stage, and for the reasons set out below, I am in support of council officers giving consideration to the proposed discharge method and whether this interim solution to the current and ongoing issues with the disposal field should be treated as emergency works under the Resource Management Act.

My reasons for supporting this course of action are as follows.

1.        The direct discharge proposed is effectively an alternative method of releasing the treated effluent into the same receiving environment (the Shotover River).

2.        The quality of the treated effluent if directly discharged is likely to be better than the current discharge from the disposal field, which is deteriorating while ponding on the field and creating a potential health hazard.

3.        The proximity of the disposal field to the eastern end of the Queenstown Airport runway, and the advice that increased birdlife in the Shotover Delta area is presenting a potential heightened risk of aeroplane bird strike.

4.        The option was presented as an interim solution and appears to be the most cost effective and better option for the district as a whole.

5.        We were presented with grounds, qualified by privileged legal opinion, that these works were of sufficient urgency that if they were to proceed would likely be carried out under the ‘Emergency Works’ provisions of the Resource Management Act, with consent sought after commencement of the works.

It was noted that one of the intended outcomes of the wastewater treatment plant upgrades carried out over the last ten years was to enable the eventual decommissioning of the old oxidation ponds, in part due to the potential bird strike risk they have presented.  This is due to be achieved later this year, but in the meantime ponding at the disposal field has created a potentially greater risk.

It was also noted that up until 2016, lower-quality treated effluent from the oxidation ponds was discharged directly into the Shotover River.  The quality of the treated effluent improved with the commissioning of the first MLE plant in 2016, but treated effluent was still at that stage discharged directly into the Shotover River.  The disposal field was commissioned in 2019 to enable a move away from direct discharge to the river.  Although meeting consent conditions, the quality of the treated effluent is currently reduced by the mixing in of that produced from the oxidation ponds, but is expected to improve significantly when the second MLE plant is brought online later this year (at which point the oxidation ponds will be decommissioned).

The simple fact is that the disposal field is currently unable to deal with the volume of treat effluent produced, a developing problem that has been acknowledged by QLDC since at least 2021.  Work to identify an alternative permanent disposal solution is underway, but taking into account expected timeframes for design, consenting and construction, at this stage is not expected to be implemented for a number of years.  In the meantime, an interim solution is required.  Councillors were presented with the proposed interim solution for the disposal field during an update on the mediation relating to the Enforcement Order on Thursday morning.  This was an unexpected development, but it was acknowledged that a number of issues have arisen recently that have brought this matter to a head.  It was generally acknowledged by QLDC staff and elected members alike that the current situation and proposed interim solution is somewhat less than desirable.  Questions have been asked whether the use of the emergency works provisions of the RMA is appropriate, and we will continue to question this in the days ahead as further consideration is given to the proposed works."