CHB effluent causing stink in swimming hole

12th February 2005

Catherine Woulfe

The Waipukurau overbridge, one of Central Hawke's Bay's most popular swimming holes, is dangerously polluted by domestic waste.

The 3400 cubic metres of effluent pumped daily into the river have pushed ecoli bacteria levels up 20 percent above those set by safety regulations.

But the Central Hawke's Bay District Council says it could be 12 years before it could clean up its act.

Mayor Tim Gilbertson said last week that the lengthy time-frame meant his council wasn't making rash promises saying it wanted to be "absolutely certain that we get it absolutely right".

He said he realised 12 years was a long time and would be very disappointed if the project actually took that long.

Five of the district's six oxidation ponds needed new resource consents, but they had to comply with regional council regulations first. The sixth pond, Takapau, has a resource consent until 2016.

Residents, angling clubs, the Department of Conservation, Fish and Game New Zealand and Craggy Range winery are among the 21 submitters to the council's application to have the other resource consents extended for 35 years.

Napier resident Colin Crombie called Hawke's Bay Today to vent his frustration.

"It's just a beautiful, magnificent river. It's very important to the district."

Hundreds and hundreds of people used it every year, fishing, kayaking and swimming.

Mr Crombie was appalled that "no maintenance whatsoever" had been done on the oxidation ponds, and he thought the council's application for another 12-year consent to discharge was "absolutely unbelievable".

"When you get a heavy rainfall the sewage is simply poured into the Tukituki river."

Graham Reena, a taxidermist who lived near the Waipukurau outlet, used to fish and swim in the Tukituki, unaware of the risk.

"I didn't really have a clue," he said.

Mr Reena hadn't been near the river since he saw neighbour Jennifer Cudby on One News talking about the effluent. Now, he's worried about the effect it could have had on his health.

"It does make you wonder," he said. "It's high time something was done."

Ms Cudby, who made a submission on behalf of Mt Herbert Road residents, said it was vital that the Hawke's Bay Regional Council enforced strict monitoring and regulations for the Tukituki river.

"Just living close to it and putting up with the smell" was her motivation.

Fish and Game New Zealand made a submission pointing out the Tukituki was the fourth most heavily fished river in the country. Fish and Game regional manager Steve Smith said it was the most important river in Hawke's Bay, and not just for fishing.

"Community expectations are pretty clear," he said. "They expect to be able to go down there and play in the water and have a swim."

Mr Smith said he understood that projects like this took time, but the council couldn't say they'd been surprised by the resource consent lapse.

"It's like they delayed it for as long as possible," he said. "Twelve years is unrealistic."

The clean-up was a "no-brainer", he said.

"We're right behind clearing it up. Excellent, you're moving in the right direction. But you need to come up with a realistic time-frame. Tomorrow would be good."

Department of Conservation planner Neil Grant said DOC's submission was along the same lines.

"I wouldn't exactly say we're angry. We have concerns about trying to maintain the aquatic ecosystem in the Tukituki catchment."

He said the effluent could further endanger an indigenous fish species, dwarf galaxiis, that was already nationally threatened. Predictions of low river levels because of climate changes and water takes only made the problem worse.

The council had been talking about building a new plant for Waipawa and Waipukurau, and using this as leverage to gain a consent, he said.

Mr Grant hoped that the concerns of the submitters and community would make the regional council "tighten up a little bit" on the CHB council.

The regional council will hear submissions on February 28 and March 1 and 2.