Mayor disagrees with council on wastewater changes in Bluff

Invercargill Mayor Nobby Clark says he would rather operate Bluff’s wastewater network under an expired consent than ‘gallop ahead’ on water reforms.

The comments were made at a council meeting this week, where the small town’s upcoming wastewater changes were discussed.

Treated discharge is currently discharged into the Strait of Foveaux through a drain pipe, but the authorization for that operation expires in December 2025.

In the future, the preference is to continue discharging into the sea, with the additional step of removing waste through a marsh area.

Clark has been a dissenting voice during the consent discussions and warned this week against moving too quickly.

“It is my intention that we do not prejudge the advice that will come from the water regulator (Taumata Arowai) in March next year,” Clark said.

“I think it would be foolhardy for us to jump ahead.”

Clark claimed there were about 50 factories operating across the country with permits expiring, saying it was “not the end of the world”.

Council President Michael Day warned the council against delaying a decision on committee recommendations until after November as it would leave the council in a race against time.

Operating the plant without permission would be unprecedented, he said.

Council group infrastructure manager Erin Moogan said she had been in contact with Taumata Arowai and the Home Office, and while the new standards were expected to be released in March, they would likely not be finalized until August next year.

Deputy Mayor Tom Campbell and Councilor Lesley Soper both expressed a desire for the wastewater issue to be discussed further in November.

Clark agreed, but said he wanted to make it clear that no decision would be made next month.

Changes to the way wastewater is delivered into the Foveaux Strait are supported by the Bluff Community Board, Te Ao Marama and Te Rūnaka o Awarua. In an October 7 letter written by the rūnaka to the council, manager Gail Thompson wrote that discussions had confirmed the preference for discharge to land rather than the ocean.

However, because the costs were outside the budget, the rūnaka supported the working group’s recommendation to discharge into the ocean through a wetland.

The rūnaka’s support was subject to several conditions, including a feasibility assessment, compliance assurance, assessment of the condition of Mahinga Kai/Kaimoana at Ocean Beach and the extension of the 50-metre drainage pipe.

The total cost for the wetland option has been estimated at more than $15 million.

– LDR is local journalism, co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air