Matatā residents can expect to see bore drilling work taking place in their neighbourhood over the next few weeks.
File photo: Industrial drilling machine Photo: 123RF
Three groundwater bores are being drilled in consultation with local iwi and hapū as part of Whakatāne District Council's environmental monitoring work to support decisions on the Matatā wastewater project. The drilling was originally planned to take place last month but due to the unavailability of members of iwi and hapū groups over the holiday period consultation was not able to take place over the locations of drilling.
The town does not currently have a reticulated wastewater system and residents are reliant on septic tanks. The failure of septic tanks has created a public health risk and environmental contamination and the council has committed to find a wastewater solution as a matter of priority.
The council's projects and services committee received a progress report from project manager Janeane Joyce last week.
Phase three of the project is commencing well with a number of key workstreams underway. A co-governance group has been set up which includes representatives from the council, Ngāti Awa hapū, Te Mana o Ngāti Rangitihi Trust and Ngāti Tūwharetoa Bay of Plenty Settlement Trust with support from Bay of Plenty Regional Council and Toi Te Ora Public Health. The group meets monthly.
A cultural overlay is being developed to include areas, sites and stories of significance, desired outcomes and community benefits and land development aspirations. This will inform all other workstreams.
A preferred site for the treatment and disposal of wastewater is yet to be identified. The monitoring framework is being set up to develop a consistent and robust set of data and information on the environment. Along with groundwater monitoring, other monitoring of the lagoon was taking place.
Other workstreams include determining an appropriate design for the system and development of a resource consent application.
A communications and engagement programme with the Matatā community and the wider district is also under development though Joyce said due to multiple priority projects and team vacancies this workstream was running behind schedule.
"There is a lot of communication to be done," she said.
Mayor Judy Turner asked about the timeframe for the project and Joyce said they were aiming to have phase three completed by the end of this year.
Councillor Victor Luca asked whether sticking to the status quo and retaining the septic tank system for wastewater would be among the options for councillors to choose from.
Joyce said preferred options were not being looked at for now.
Councillor Gavin Dennis said he felt that the status quo was not an option.
"The regional council and the department of health have both given damning reports on the situation. It's quite serious out there."
Councillor Lesley Immink asked whether the future growth of Matatā was being taken into consideration, saying she knew of a developer who was interested in building a lifestyle village in the town.
Joyce said the council had talked to iwi about allowing for the possibility of papakainga development in the area and said she would include this information in further reports.
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