Source: Radio New Zealand
Signs on Wellington’s South Coast about the wastewater spill. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Wellington mayor Andrew Little says details from a preliminary report into the failure of the Moa Point wastewater plant will be made public next week.
The news comes just over five weeks out from when a massive backflow of sewage flooded the plant, shutting it down, damaging equipment and resulting in millions of litres of untreated sewage being pumped into the ocean off the city’s south coast.
“A draft report has been received by Wellington Water and provided this week to WCC. The report is an externally-prepared preliminary technical report on hydraulic issues related to the flood event at the Moa Point Wastewater Treatment Plant.
“Officers are working through the report, and we expect to give an update to the public mid next week,” Little said.
The move marks a shift in the publication of findings into the plant’s failure.
Two days ago, Wellington Water confirmed the report had been handed to Wellington City Council officers, but would not be made public while the Crown review into the plant’s failure was taking place.
At a public meeting in the wake of the shutdown last month, Wellington Water chief operating officer Charles Barker told attendees he could not discuss the cause of the failure with a Crown review imminent and insurance processes underway.
“So, if at times I appear guarded, or I’m taking a bit longer to think, that’s because I’m probably getting close to that point where I have to be careful not to jeopardise any future inquiry, and especially everyone’s insurance,” Barker said.
The sentiment was echoed by Mayor Little, who, at the same meeting, said he was unable to discuss the cost to fix the stricken facility and who would pay.
“There’s a whole bunch of insurance claims being made by all sorts of parties.
Wellington mayor Andrew Little. RNZ / Mark Papalii
“I suspect insurance companies don’t want to do anything until they have a fair idea about what the possible cause is,” Little said.
The mayor’s office was unable to provide details of when exactly the preliminary report would be released, but did provide a letter from Little to Local Government Minister Simon Watt last month, urging him to consider publishing interim reports from the Crown Review team as the process went ahead.
“Because the event is ongoing, I would encourage you to consider the merits of the Crown Review Team providing interim reporting rather than wait for the entire ToRs [Terms of Reference] to have been satisfied. Transparency with Wellingtonians and all New Zealanders is essential, so it would be my expectation that all reporting should be proactively released as appropriate,” Little wrote early last month.
Wellington Water and Minister for Local Government, Simon Watts, have been approached for comment.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
