Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) and the Otago Regional Council (ORC) have received a number of reports of flows of discoloured and fast-flowing water into the Clutha/Mata-Au River near the Hikuwai and Northlake developments, in Wanaka.

QLDC recognises that this has caused concern amongst the Wanaka community and wants to assure residents that both councils have been working closely together to investigate the cause and monitor the run-off. While there have been stormwater flows from those sites, recent monitoring results have shown that the water being discharged, whilst discoloured after events such as significant rain fall, is not silt-laden and has been within the expected range for water quality standards.

QLDC Principal Monitoring and Enforcement Officer Anthony Hall advised that in order to meet sediment discharge and flow limits, developers are required to meet their site management plans to manage storm water, erosion and sediments on their sites.

“Over recent months, there has been an improvement in those discharges across a number of developments as a result of the QLDC Planning & Development and Regulatory teams actively working closely with developers,” said Mr Hall.

The large subdivision sites under construction at Northlake and Hikuwai have resource consent conditions in place that manage stormwater outputs from those sites. These conditions are monitored by QLDC.

“The Northlake and Hikuwai developers have been responsive during this process and are continually making changes and improvements to their site management plans,” said Mr Hall.

The QLDC teams will continue to monitor stormwater management systems on all development sites to ensure they are meeting their accepted plans. Work will also continue with ORC as they monitor sediment levels.

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