Source: Radio New Zealand
Farmers affected by the latest overflow are likely not be able to harvest until after Christmas. Supplied
Weeks after a 1200-cubic-metre wastewater spill into the Mahurangi River, Auckland oyster farmers are dealing with the effects of another overflow, which they say has stuffed their Christmas season.
Watercare confirmed to RNZ that on 19 November, Warkworth experienced more than half the town’s average rainfall for the entire month, a total of 53mm overnight.
An estimated 86 cubic metres of wastewater mixed with stormwater overflowed into the river from a Warkworth pipeline, the engineered overflow point on Elizabeth Street.
The Ministry of Primary Industries instructed growers to suspend harvesting while it carried out testing, with results expected this week.
But Matakana Oysters’ Tom Walters said the spill had already ruined their plans for December, their busiest period of the year.
“It’s been pretty difficult the whole year, but this is our peak time. We’ve missed Christmas parties now and celebrations, we’ve got people who wanted to order for Christmas itself, and now we’re not even getting any orders from people because they know about the sewage situation. So they’ll be going elsewhere.
“My business relies on the Christmas-New Year period, and that’s what gets us through the months where we’re quiet. We’re basically stuffed.”
Matakana Oysters were set to begin harvesting on 20 November, before the rain derailed their plans.
“We’re hoping to be potentially back open early December at best, but that’s all going to be weather and and test results dependent,” Walters said.
He said that while farmers received compensation for the wastewater overflow in October, which Watercare admitted was caused by a technical failure, the agency was not required to compensate them for spills caused by rainfall.
“That money has all gone on debts that have occurred from all the spills over this year and the last couple of years.
“It’s not enough to keep us surviving, and Watercare won’t compensate us for wet weather spills.
“I can’t buy enough oysters from up north or other areas to cater to this time of the year, and I don’t have enough money for that either.”
Mahurangi Oyster Farmers Association president Lynette Dunn said farmers there would likely not be able to harvest until after Christmas.
“This is one of our biggest, most important times of the year prior to Christmas, getting a lot of product out before start spawning out, and we won’t be able to do that.
“All our customers are ringing up, and we can’t supply them.
“And when the Ministry of Primary Industries opens the harbour, there’s going to be scepticism about, you know, are they [the oysters] safe and everything like that.”
“It’s disheartening. It’s eating away at every farmer, and it’s devastating for each and every one of us.”
In a statement to RNZ, Watercare chief operations officer Mark Bourne said it had upgrades planned to prevent more wet weather overflows from occurring, but they would not be completed until the end of 2026.
“Earlier this year, we completed network upgrades to reduce the frequency of overflows at this location while we deliver the final stage of a $450 million programme of work: a growth-servicing pipeline. These measures are performing well, but they were never intended to prevent overflows during severe weather events like last week’s.
“We really feel for the oyster growers, who have faced many challenges this year and are now in their peak harvest season.
“To put a stop to these wet weather overflows as soon as possible, we have accelerated the first stage of the growth-servicing pipeline, bringing it forward by two years to have it in service by the end of next year. This comes at an additional cost of $2.5m. When it is in service, this pipeline will prevent an overflow in similar weather to what we experienced last week.”
Walters and Dunn said affected businesses needed more financial assistance to get them through until upgrades were done.
“This problem isn’t going to stop with wet weather spills and we’ve still got another year of it before the pipeline is ready,” said Walters.
“They’ve [Watercare] made a few little fixes which have helped with small amounts of rain, but anything over 30ml plus is going to affect us.”
Dunn said that even when the infrastructure improved, it would take a lot of work to re-build public trust.
“We need funding to keep us going. Our reputational damage is just going down the drain. Everyone associates Mahurangai Oysers with sewage. So, to try and sell our product, we’re going to have a huge battle.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
