Source: Federated Farmers
Federated Farmers is applauding today’s decision by central Otago councillors to flush moves to spread treated human wastewater sludge on farmland at Lauder.
The option was being considered by Central Otago District Council (CODC) to deal with more than 20,000 cubic metres of sludge stored in geobags, and at the bottom of aeration ponds, at the Cromwell wastewater treatment plant.
“It’s heartening that councillors have heeded the anger and strong warnings from rural residents in Lauder and the wider Manuherekia catchment,” says Federated Farmers Otago president Anna Gillespie.
“The understandable motivation was to save ratepayers’ money in these tough times but that cannot be at the expense of the environment and water quality in a sensitive catchment.
“It was great to hear acknowledgement from Mayor Tamah Alley and Deputy Mayor Tracy Paterson that rural residents shouldn’t be expected to take the fall for waste generated in urban areas.”
Council officers warned of rural community fightback and potential for delays to the urgent programme of work to deal with sludge at both the Cromwell and Alexandra treatment plants.
There was also new information that the consent to spread wastewater sludge at the Lauder property might cover only half of what CODC needed to dispose of.
Potential savings for ratepayers had narrowed from $600,000 to $182,000.
Councillors decided to continue with the previous disposal method, transporting the sludge to a landfill at Winton.
“From the get-go Federated Farmers has questioned the science and modelling under-pinning the consent granted to spread effluent sludge from Wānaka and Albert Town at the former sheep and beef farm at Lauder,” Gillespie says.
“The prospect of more sludge from Cromwell and Alexandra was truly alarming.
“It’s pleasing to learn that Otago Regional Council is now reviewing those consent conditions in light of the points we’ve been making.”