A Waikato Regional Council submission has raised concerns of potential losses in water quality in the region.

The council’s submission is in response to proposed wastewater environmental performance standards stemming from the Local Government (Water Services) Bill.

Taumata Arowai is consulting on the initial wastewater standards which regional councils will be required to implement through resource consent conditions, without making them stricter or more lenient, councillors heard at the April meeting of the Strategy and Policy Committee.

The council’s submission advised that while the proposed standards are expected to enhance environmental outcomes and improve efficiencies, they conflict with current council initiatives to improve water quality.

Committee chair Warren Maher said the council has been systematically strengthening the limits of resource consents over time to improve water quality across the region in collaboration with territorial authorities.

“Many of the existing municipal wastewater discharges have one or multiple contaminant standards in their existing consents or current applications which are stricter than what the proposed standards would require.

“Implementing these standards as they are would significantly undermine the substantial efforts and investments made by territorial authorities, which have been actively supported by our council, in upgrading wastewater treatment plant discharges,” said Cr Maher.

“If the government decides to progress the standards, then they should at least enable the council to maintain current discharge quality levels. If not, then water quality across the region could deteriorate and the percentage of waterways experiencing significant adverse effects may worsen.”

Councillors also expressed their concerns regarding the proposal to grant new resource consents a 35-year timeframe.

“As a regulator, the council must be able to carry out a case-by-case assessment that considers localised effects and specific merits of an application to determine the appropriate duration of a resource consent,” said Cr Maher.

“Applying a blanket 35-year approach will not adequately account for future changes in environmental conditions, community needs and technology advancements.”

The proposed wastewater environmental performance standards are expected to be set by late 2025 following enactment of the Local Government (Water Services) Bill.

The report on the council’s submission along with a recording of the Strategy and Policy Committee meeting can be viewed at waikatoregion.govt.nz/council-meetings/policy

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