QLDC ordered to pay almost quarter million over Shotover plant issues
Queenstown Lakes District Council has been ordered to pay at least $235,000 in costs over its troubled Shotover Wastewater Treatment Plant.
In January, the Otago Regional Council sought enforcement orders from the Environment Court over multiple breaches at the plant in a bid to avoid or mitigate any adverse environmental impacts.
Its disposal field failed, resulting in consistent ponding and treated wastewater being discharged into the river.
The Environment Court ordered the district council to pay the Otago Regional Council the costs associated with monitoring, investigating, testing and reporting connected to applying for the enforcement orders.
That was on top of paying the "reasonable costs" for the regional council undertaking environmental monitoring and collecting samples at the Shotover River, Kawarau River and Shotover Delta.
The decision detailed what upgrades, contingency measures, timeframes and milestones needed to be met including staff training, repairs and improvements to the wastewater treatment plant.
The Queenstown Lakes District Council also needed to pay for ongoing monitoring, have a long-term solution for its faulty disposal field in place by the end of 2030, and a solution to ensure it did not attract any birds that might endanger nearby aircraft.
Two abatement notices and 10 infringement notices had been issued since early 2024, with many about the discharge of treated wastewater to land on the Shotover Delta.
Last September, the district council built an unconsented overflow pipe to allow the controlled release when the water level got to high on the field to try and address the issue.
