FAQs about Kaikohe and Kaitāia resource consent renewals
Safe and affordable wastewater treatment is essential for our communities. We want to improve environmental outcomes and maintain a core level of service.
Far North District Council has resource consents to operate our Kaikohe and Kaitāia Wastewater Treatment Plants. We must apply to renew the consents to the Northland Regional Council (NRC) by 30 August 2021.
Since the current consents were granted, NRC has imposed stricter standards that the discharge from these plants must comply with. This has been the driver to upgrade treatment processes at both plants. Upgrades to the plants will be undertaken as part of the consent renewal process. This will ensure the discharge is compliant with regional and central government standards. The upgrades will further reduce potential adverse effects on the environment are avoided. The funding to pay for the upgrades will be approved through Council’s Long Term Plan process.
The consents will have conditions that ensure we improve environmental outcomes. And we can incorporate special conditions on the consent e.g. the requirement to undertake cultural values monitoring.
Our goal is to achieve the best environmental outcomes possible. We acknowledge that discharge-to-land is likely to be one of the ways to achieve this, and it is part of our longer-term planning.
We acknowledge that the Kaikohe and Kaitāia schemes have a high impact on Māori cultural interests and values. We are committed to talking to hapū most directly impacted to help us work towards better outcomes. This will include, but not be limited to, cultural impact assessments for each treatment plant.
Along with the discharge of treated wastewater to water we also need to renew the consents for the associated discharge of odour from the wastewater treatment plants and any potential seepage from the base of treatment ponds.