Victory for Akaroa Harbour: Councillors vote 12-1 for $150m land-based wastewater scheme

Thursday, 23 April 2026

The “egregious act” of discharging treated wastewater into Akaroa Harbour will end after the city council decided to push ahead with its land-based irrigation plan.

A cost increase of close to $100m prompted the Christchurch City Council to rethink the scheme and put the harbour discharge option back on the agenda.

The move evoked passionate pleas from residents, landowners and mana whenua at Wednesday’s council meeting.

Some residents called on the council to abandon the land-based scheme in favour of building a new and longer harbour discharge pipe. Others, including political scientist and climate advocate Professor Bronwyn Hayward and Ōnuku rūnanga chairperson Rik Tainui, emphasised how important a healthy harbour is for everyone.

Hayward encouraged the council to think of Akaroa Harbour as Canterbury's “blue stadium”.

“It's our cultural, ecological, tourism, recreation and ocean economy icon.”

The council confirmed 12 votes to one, its 2020 decision to dispose of Akaroa’s treated wastewater on land planted with native trees in Robinsons Bay and Hammond Point.

However, the scheme has been pared back to reduce costs.

When the scheme was first approved in 2020 it was expected to cost $63m, but has since skyrocketed to $176m, which includes a previously separate $20m Duvauchelle project.

The council has $98m budgeted.

Building a pipe 2.7km into the harbour was projected to cost $127m.

The new land-based plan, expected to cost $150m, reduces the irrigated land area from 41 hectares to 28ha and reduces the amount of wastewater storage and the size of the wetland.

It sees the new treatment plant being built on the other side of Old Coach Rd, because the former site needed a $20m retaining wall built, due to land movement concerns.

The council has asked staff to keep looking for ways to reduce costs and to look into extending a 300m-long outfall pipe in Children’s Bay that would be used only when the system was full. Staff expected that pipe to be used less than 1% of the time.

Friends of Banks Peninsula (FOBP), which was vehemently opposed to the land-based scheme, was concerned contaminants would accumulate in the mudflats due to the outfall pipe and supported it being lengthened.

FOBP deputy chair Suky Thompson told councillors the land-based options presented unacceptable environmental risk.

She said the inner harbour pipe was tried and trusted technology that would be resilient to climate change.

After the meeting, she said the decision was a “high-level political one driven by lofty aspirations” and did not consider the technical details.

Rik Tainui, chairperson Ōnuku rūnanga, told councillors a healthy harbour must be sustained environmentally, economically and culturally.

He said a healthy harbour underpins local livelihoods supporting salmon farming, tourism, recreational and commercial fishing.

“The wellbeing of a harbour directly impacts the wellbeing of our community.”

After the decision was made, Tainui said he was feeling relieved.

“I personally think they made the right decision for all of us, for the community, although some might not think that.”

Tainui said he had been hopeful the council would make that decision, but was not confident.

He just wanted the council to get on with the project.

“It’s been a long, tiring and expensive journey for us too. I should be out drinking champagne, but I’m tired of it all.”

Akaroa Salmon chief executive Stewart Hawthorn told councillors sewage discharges in other parts of the country had destroyed aquaculture businesses. He encouraged the council to choose land irrigation, which would further improve Akaroa Harbour’s water quality.

Andy Thompson, of the Department of Conservation, asked the council not to support a harbour outfall pipe because of the impact it could have on the nationally vulnerable Hector's dolphin.

Councillor Tyrone Fields, who represents Banks Peninsula, said discharging treated wastewater continuously into Akaroa Harbour was among the most “egregious acts” ever committed against Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

He said every option comes at a significant financial cost, some risk and some form of compromise.

Cr Aaron Keown, the only councillor to vote against the land-based scheme, said he had never seen a community so divided on an issue yet all wanting the same outcome - a better environment.

He said the council could not keep spending like this on projects.

Cr Sam MacDonald said the council just needed to build the scheme.

“The worst thing we can do is not make a decision at all.”

Staff could not say when the new scheme would be operational. Staff would have to apply for a new resource consent and it was not known how long that would take.

Mayor Phil Mauger did not take part in the debate or vote due to a conflict of interest. He owns a property in Akaroa. Crs Celeste Donovan, Yani Johanson and Tyla Harrison-Hunt were not at the meeting.