An intensive three-year project, involving major consultation and extensive planning, is one step closer to delivering a new sewage treatment and disposal to land project for Wanaka, Queenstown Lakes District Council utilities general manger Mark Kunath said.

"Environmentally and culturally this signals a major turning point for the council", Mr Kunath said.

Yesterday (Wednesday) the council received the necessary consents for Project Pure, which would bring to an end the discharge of treated wastewater to the Clutha River and see the development of a new scheme that would dispose of treated water under Wanaka Airport land.

In March 2003 a working party was established to investigate alternatives to the present system. Last year the council established a project team to further the recommendations of the working party and to identify a suitable site.

"This is a significant project in terms of cost, and in terms of planning. I am delighted that all the relevant consents have been granted, which is an indication of the thorough investigation and consultation that has gone into the preparation of this particular project," Mr Kunath said.

Resource consent has been granted for the treatment and disposal of wastewater to land, for the discharge of contaminants to the air and to construct a pipeline under the Cardrona River.

The decision reflected evidence that the odour from the plant would be captured within the building and that the plant itself would be modest with height restrictions of four metres.

The project was now subject to appeal to the Environment Court within the next 15 working days.

"Notwithstanding any appeal we would hope work on the scheme would begin next year," Mr Kunath said.

Project Pure was an environmental milestone that would precede the introduction of wastewater disposal to land in the Wakatipu Basin.

ENDS

For further information please contact Mark Kunath 03 441 0499.

Project Pure QLDC Decision / Project Pure ORC Decision

By: Sarah