Full Council to decide Wainui wastewater timeframe

A decision on when the final stage of the Wainui wastewater upgrade will be carried out will be made by the Mayor and Councillors later this month, with the Christchurch City Council's Infrastructure, Transport and Environment Committee recommending it should proceed as planned.

Today's meeting of the Committee heard deputations from Wainui locals and received a consultation report on possible future options for the delivery of stage two of the Wainui Wastewater Reticulation and Treatment Scheme.

Community consultation was carried out in March 2015 on three proposed options for the next stage of the project. They are:
• A cost-share proposal between the Council and property owners to deliver the project
• Deferring delivery of the scheme, for inclusion in the 2018-28 Long Term Plan
• Proceeding as planned (financial year beginning 1 July 2015)

The Council received 88 public submissions on the proposals through the consultation process. The majority (75 per cent) said they would prefer the work to proceed as originally planned (financial year beginning 1 July 2015). Twenty-five per cent said their preference was to defer the project, and none favoured the cost-sharing proposal.

The main issues raised by those who favoured going ahead with the scheme as originally planned were: protection of the environment, effects on commercial businesses, the promise given that the work would be undertaken in 2014/15, cultural significance, and growth in the area.

Residents were also invited to make a submission on the issue through the Council's Long Term Plan 2015/25 consultation process.

Committee Chairman Phil Clearwater says the Council was considering deferring the second stage of the project because of financial pressures due to the earthquakes.

"We wanted to outline the financial issues to residents and seek their feedback on a range of proposals before making a final decision."

At today's meeting the Committee considered the consultation report and agreed with the staff recommendation to refer a final decision on the options to the full Council later this month. However, the view of the committee was the scheme should be progressed on environmental and cultural grounds. It requested staff give advice on a realistic tendering and building programme timetable and budget for the full Council to consider when it meets later this month.

Stage one of the Wainui wastewater upgrade was completed in May 2013, removing the immediate environmental concern of treated wastewater being discharged into the Akaroa Harbour. The second stage of the scheme, which is the subject of this consultation, is to provide individual properties with a reticulated wastewater system and new treatment plant that will discharge to land.

ENDS

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