Otago Youth Adventure Trust’s Tautuku camp has received $6407 from the Otago Regional Council (ORC) to help buy time to plan a new disposal system.
"The current system includes a holding tank for ablution facilities across the complex, and material from there is pumped into a large pond," trust president Stephen Woodhead said.
"That’s no longer up to modern standard [and] its existing consent ran out ...
"The funding will cover a portion of a new, short-term, five-year consent to continue to use it while we plan with landowners (the Department of Conservation) and iwi to put in an upgraded system."
Tautuku has capacity for 100 people and is usually busy with about 70, mostly school camps and family weekend use.
"The target would be for the new system to be operational within that time, but it’s quite a big challenge for us [and] we need expert advice.
"We’re too early to jump to conclusions about how a new system would operate but it’s highly likely our system in the future will not involve the pond."
In the past financial year, nine projects received a total of more than $33,000 from ORC annual funding support towards consenting and monitoring costs for developments with an environmental benefit.
Under the annual consents fee support fund, ORC can waive the cost for consent fees up to $10,000 per application, and if they are then compliant with consent conditions, their compliance fees can also be waived.
"There are amazing people doing great work across Otago and it’s important that we’re able to assist these largely community-led projects, which are ultimately beneficial to the wellbeing of the environment, its eco-systems and for the people of Otago," ORC manager consents Alexandra King said.
