November 2 2015

Mayor Welcomes Formal Review Withdrawal

Palmerston North Mayor Grant Smith says the way is now clear to implement a sustainable plan for the City’s wastewater treatment and improve the quality of the Manawatu River.

Horizons Regional Council has announced today that it has formally withdrawn its review into the City’s existing wastewater consents.

“The decision by Horizon’s to bring proceedings to an end brings a long and difficult process to a conclusion. It also reflects reality. We had already reached an agreement on this issue.”

“This agreement allows us to bring forward plans to improve the wastewater discharge system. This will be of benefit to the river and the whole community”, Mr Smith says.

Last month, Palmerston North started this process by seeking changes to its existing resource consents for the wastewater plant.

The City is committed to lodging new resource consent applications six years earlier than the current expiry date of 2028.

It will conduct a review to find the best practicable option for the City’s wastewater treatment, which may include continuing to discharge into the river, moving to land based disposal or a combination of both.

Consultations will be held with iwi and the wider community before a final decision is reached on those options and a new consent applied for by June 2022.

The final cost of the project could range from $30m to $100m.

PNCC Chief Executive Paddy Clifford says the Council is committed to finding the best wastewater solution without placing too big a burden on ratepayers.

“Council will need to carefully prioritise its projects over the coming years so we can effectively manage our costs.”

Depending on the final option chosen, the wastewater project is expected to be completed by 2025-30.

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