A field trip to investigate two integrated wastewater schemes has confirmed that the proposal to link a new Matatā reticulation system with upgraded wastewater treatment facilities in Edgecumbe and Whakatāne, with a common ocean outfall, would provide an effective solution for all three communities.
Reporting to last week’s Whakatāne District Council Policy Committee meeting, Strategic Projects Manager Jeff Farrell said the success of integrated schemes linking several communities in the Timaru and Waimakariri Districts indicated that the solution proposed for the Whakatāne District would “optimise” the use of existing wastewater treatment infrastructure and simplify resource consent processes.
He noted that sourcing increased external funding would be a key challenge. “The Associate Minister of Health, the Hon. Peter Dunne, has advised that the Ministry is not able to raise its subsidy above the $6.7 million already approved. However, he was supportive of a whole-of-Government approach and is prepared facilitate meetings with other Ministries when a business case to support the proposal has been completed,” Mr Farrell said.
The business case will be prepared with the support of the Bay of Plenty Regional Council and is expected to be completed before the end of March.
The latest financial modelling information indicated that the total cost of the integrated solution, including the upgrades of the Edgecumbe and Whakatāne wastewater treatment systems and the $3.1 million spent to date on project development, resource consents and Environment Court proceedings, would be $32 million. On a proportional basis, Matatā’s share of that cost (for the costs to date; plus a reticulation network in the town; pumping of raw sewage to Edgecumbe; part of the Edgecumbe system upgrade and onward pumping to Whakatāne; and part of the Whakatāne system upgrade) is estimated at $20 million. Committed funding from the Ministry of Health ($6.7 million), the Regional Council ($1.88 million) and the District Council ($4.6 million) totals $13.2 million, leaving a shortfall of $18.8 million.
“If the Matatā project does not proceed, the Medical Officer of Health has requested that the Regional Council investigates making the town a maintenance zone under the On-Site Effluent Treatment Regional Plan, which would have significant financial impacts for individual property owners,” Mr Farrell said.