Foxton wastewater plant gets green light to take waste out of Manawatū River loop

Friday, 14 September 2018

Judge Brian Dwyer has ruled a plan to take wastewater out of the Manawatū River and spray on to a beef farm was the best option available.

Waste from the Foxton wastewater treatment plant will no longer go into a severely polluted part of the Manawatū River, thanks to an Environment Court decision.

But the decision will see massive intensification of farmland, which would not have been possible without the waste from the plant, and likely result in degradation of groundwater.

In a recently-published decision, Judge Brian Dwyer of the Environment Court granted the Horowhenua District Council consents to discharge waste from the plant on to farmland.

The treatment plant, which has operated since 1976, currently discharges treated wastewater directly into the western section of the Manawatū River loop.

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The loop itself was created in the 1940s, when earthworks combined with an unexpected flood to change the course of the river.

The loop became separated from the main channel of the river, rendering Foxton's river harbour useless.

Although the lower western end of the loop is still connected to the river, the upper eastern part is cut off completely.

The district council wanted to change its consent, so it could take discharge out of the loop and on to land to the south of the treatment plant.

It also wanted to spray treated effluent on to nearby land used to farm beef.

The land is not currently irrigated and would result in the beef operation there becoming intensified above present stocking levels.

The district council was happy to pump to the site, as it would not affect cultural sites and flooding areas, is away from Foxton and can take the water, and the land owner was happy with the arrangement.

There were three other options, which would have involved higher capital costs and the requirement to buy or lease land.

The move would not disturb culturally significant sites and had the backing of local iwi.

Although accepting the district council's option was the best, the court did hit a stumbling block when considering the consents under the One Plan – Horizons Regional Council's guidelines for resource management.

The One Plan stated farms must comply with certain nitrogen leaching targets, something the beef farm would not do if the wastewater was pumped there, the court says.

But the One Plan was structured in a way that made it possible to get a consent, despite saying farms must be compliant – something the judge described as a 'glaring' ambiguity.

Furthermore, the One Plan gave no guidance about how to deal with a situation where treated wastewater would be combined with intensive beef farming.

'There is a gap in the plan,' Dwyer said.

However, the judge said he decided to move with the overall goal of the plan – to strike a balance between using natural resources and keeping the environment in good health.

The discharge regime was likely having a significant effect on the river loop and taking it out would only be good.

Putting the discharge on to land would raise nutrients levels in groundwater, but the worst thing that happened to the loop was diverting the river from it's original course, the judge said.

'The proposal will result in enhancement of existing water quality.'

Foxton Community Board chairman David Roache was pleased with the result, saying discharge going into the river was a long-running issue.

'It's a great day for Foxton, for the Manawatū River Loop, the estuary and the Manawatū River.

'I hope we set a good example for our neighbours.'

The Foxton plant consent puts Horowhenua District Council a step closer to achieving its goal of having all discharge go to land.

Council chief executive David Clapperton said Horowhenua was possibly the only council in New Zealand on the way to that result.

'Council has been on this journey for over a decade and it is very close to fulfilling its promise.'

The Tokomaru treatment plant was the next plant from which the council would seek to have wastewater discharged to land, he said.