The project team investigating alternatives for the disposal of Wanaka"s wastewater hopes to be in a position to make a recommendation the Queenstown Lakes District Council prior to Christmas, QLDC Wanaka operations manger Chris Hawker said.

In March 2003 a working party was established to investigate alternatives to the present system of discharging treated wastewater into the Clutha River. That working party concluded that disposal to land was the preferred method of disposal and identified some potential site options.

Earlier this year the QLDC established a project team to further the recommendations of the working party and the Council committed $10 million in the Council Community Plan from 2005 for treatment and disposal to land for Wanaka and its environs.

"The project team's brief was to consider the site options, as identified by the working party. We are now at the stage where a number of those options have been considered," Mr Hawker said.

Options that had and were being considered by the project team at this time were:

• Crosshill Farm (treatment plant at Albert Town)
• Department of Conservation land West option.
• Department of Conservation land East option (new)
• Forest Range
• Wanaka Airport

"Since we held a public meeting at Albert Town in May, the project team has continued to collate information, including technical, in relation to some of the identified options. That work is ongoing at present," Mr Hawker said.

Already testing had taken place at three of the sites (Crosshill, DOC West, Forest Range)  with further testing currently underway on the DOC East land and the Airport. In some cases initial discussion over possible land purchase had taken place.

"In order for any one site to be selected it must meet all of the requirements for disposal to land, both technically and environmentally. The site must be able to meet the conditions of resource consent," Mr Hawker said.

The project team would not be in a position to recommend any of the sites until all matters had been assessed, as specified in the Council brief.

"We hope the team will be in a position to make a recommendation prior to Christmas. At that time consultation in earnest will be undertaken and a further public information session will be held," Mr Hawker said.

Any chosen site would still be the subject of land owner negotiation, intensive neighbour consultation, public notice, submissions and hearings.

ENDS

For further information please contact Chris Hawker 03 443 8197.

By: Kiri