Decision on wastewater plan
The Southland District Council has agreed to use a subsurface irrigation system to get rid of Te Anau wastewater but Fiordland residents will foot some of the bill.
After four years, an agreement was finally made at an extraordinary council meeting yesterday. The council had four proposals to choose from and debate in the past had focused on a pivot or subsurface system to dispose of Te Anau’s wastewater.
The Te Anau Wastewater Discharge Project Committee favoured the subsurface option because it believed it would have less of an environmental impact and was what the community wanted, while council staff recommended a centre-pivot irrigation method that would have cost $20.1 million. However, most community members wanted the subsurface method at a cost of $22.2 million.
At a services and assets committee meeting last week, a new option was raised by councillor John Douglas that if the council went with subsurface irrigation, the Te Anau and Manapouri community should fund the $2.1m increase compared to the council’s recommended option.
More than a dozen people spoke during the public forum at yesterday’s meeting.
Jennie Burgess, who owns and operates Te Anau Helicopter Service with her husband Gaven Burgess, said pivot-spray irrigation would increase costs for their business and would increase the risk of bird strike.
AeroFix Fiordland co-owner Debbie Gamble said if council went ahead with pivot irrigation, she and co-owner Paul Preston would move their aircraft maintenance business.
The councillors questioned both council staff and consultants Stantec about concerns that were raised in the public forum.
Councillor Ebel Kremer eventually tabled a motion that the council support the subsurface option based on community desire and reduced future impact on the environment.
Councillors Darren Frazer, Ebel Kremer, Neil Patterson, Bruce Ford, Stuart Baird Nick Perham, John Douglas, George Harpur and Mayor Gary Tong voted in favour. Councillors Paul Duffy, Julie Keast and Gavin Macpherson voted against the motion. Councillor Brian Dillon was not present at the meeting.
The councillors were then divided over whether the community residents should stump up the difference or whether the increase was paid for by a district-wide wastewater increase. Perham said the district should pay because it was a district-wide issue but Macpherson said charging the district for Te Anau’s infrastructure would be setting a precedent.
Kremer and Douglas came up with a compromise that Te Anau and Manapouri wastewater ratepayers fund part of the subsurface cost with a targeted rate up to a maximum of $1.5 million through a 30-year loan.
The motion was put to vote and passed.
After the meeting, Kremer said he thought it was a fantastic result for all of Southland. ‘‘It’s the right decision. It’s the right outcome.’’