Concerns for river, environment
Open Country Dairy’s $20m investment in a wastewater treatment plant could be the deciding factor in a decision to grant it a permit to discharge contaminants into a river for 35 years.
The dairy company has applied to discharge treated wastewater into the Waitoa River, and to discharge contaminants from its new treatment plant to air, from its Waharoa factory in the Matamata-Piako district.
A review, prepared for the Waikato Regional Council, recommends the permit be declined but Open Country Dairy will have a chance to show how it can mitigate the concerns at a public hearing on March 25.
Open Country Dairy’s Chief Executive Officer Steve Koekemoer said the company has provided the best environmental options for wastewater treatment and does not expect its permit to be declined.
‘‘The new treatment facility we have built is the best in the country for treating dairy wastewater and utilises the best technology.’’
He said the water it produced was drinkable.
‘‘I know this personally as I drank the water directly from the plant prior to discharge.’’
Koekemoer agreed the environmental care of the Waitoa River was likely to be raised as an issue at the hearing.
‘‘We believe the water from our plant is of a high quality so won’t have any significant impact on the river. We haven’t increased capacity at the site, the only reason we built the new wastewater plant is to have much tighter control on water quality exiting the site.’’
Koekemoer said the treatment plant could be used as a blueprint for other dairy companies.
‘‘Once we have it operational, we’re happy to share what we have learnt with others.’’
Consultant and senior planner Craig Inskeep, from Beca, was asked by the regional council to review Open Country Dairy’s application.
He noted the company had a ‘‘chequered history’’ of odour complaints following equipment failures and issues with its previous treatment plant. The new plant would be more capable of managing odour.
Concerns were flagged about the company’s intention to discharge into the Waitoa River all year, including summer when river flow was low. This could have further impacts downstream including the Firth of Thames.
He found the Open Country Dairy proposal was not consistent with national and regional policies which set the pace in terms of maintaining and enhancing water quality, while balancing the use of resources.
Based on those aspects, he recommended to decline the application. Independent hearing commissioners Jim Cooke and Steven Wilson will consider the recommendation as well as ten submissions. Nine opposed the dairy company’s application, one was ‘‘neutral’’. Most were concerned about further degradation of the Waitoa River and the impact of contaminants on the nearby community in Waharoa.
Nine submitters said they wanted to speak at the hearing, including Waharoa resident Judith Hattie. In her submission, she said tamariki swim in the river and there has been anecdotal stories of kids bearing rashes and burning skin after being in the water.
Hattie wrote that people were also worried about eating kai gathered from nearby waterways, such as eels and watercress. Residents had shared stories, expressing despair and anxiety about air odours, headaches, nausea. During the hot summer, there was no air to shift the odour, no escape from it, she said.