Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) is aiming to find new disposal methods and update ageing systems, which is proving a frustration for the Wānaka-Upper Clutha Community Board, which held its meeting at the end of last month.
Community board chairman Simon Telfer said wastewater plans for Hawea were much needed for the township and wider region.
"At the moment, we’re tracking waste from Hawea to a treatment plant, and you know that’s just not viable.
"It’s not viable in the short term, it’s not viable in the medium and long term. Particularly with the growth from Hawea, we need to be putting in that resilience and capacity."
The wastewater scheme was included in QLDC’s long-term plans last year, aiming to renew Lake Hawea’s outdated wastewater system.
However, a quarter of the way through 2025, the council has yet to set a date for construction to begin on a new wastewater pump station on Dominion Rd.
The council hoped construction would be under way by mid-year.
The upgrade will see a pipeline going from there to the Albert Town pump station, as well as upgrades on the Riverbank pump station and the Project Pure station inlet.
The Hawea pump station would then be decommissioned.
QLDC hopes that these pumps will sustain the area for around 30 years.
However, with the increased recent population growth in the area, consistent updates were crucial, Mr Telfer said.
"It’s great that it’s happening, but as a community board we need to continue to ensure that master planning is continually updated and that we are investing ahead of issues.
"We’ve seen what’s happened in Queenstown when you don’t invest ahead of issues and you’re having to discharge."
As reported in the Otago Daily Times, Queenstown wastewater effluent is being directly discharged into the Shotover River.
QLDC and the Otago Regional Council are in Environment Court mediation over issues at the treatment plant.
The board said waste was also an issue for Wānaka.
After purchasing 8.3ha of land on Ballantyne Rd in 2023, the council began outlining plans for more expansive waste management that would cater to the broader region more efficiently.
Although no detailed plan was made at the time, the idea was to work with existing waste management facilities such as Wastebusters.
However, after exploring its options, QLDC has found that the costs for the facility are "notably higher" than the long-term plan provision and the council is now looking to potentially rescope the idea.
"Waste is expensive.
"It’s expensive to sort, it’s expensive to truck, it’s expensive to bury ... and so, you know, with growth unfortunately comes waste," Mr Telfer said.
