A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.
A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.
Opinion
Re: GDC regulatory system remains broken, September 30 column.
John, as a parent associated with the Tairāwhiti surfing team, I reached out to GDC on the proposed wastewater discharge at Midway Beach in relation to the New Zealand Scholastic Surfing Championships. The explanation provided made great sense and I havenothing but praise and gratitude for the staff involved.
Our wastewater system is a complex beast and has complexities both on land and at sea. I knew there would be a solid rationale for taking the steps that were being proposed by GDC, especially when it includes the discharge of treated wastewater at Midway Beach. And that’s why I reached out to GDC — I wanted to understand the situation in more detail, and they provided that willingly and openly.
If the outfall pipe needs to be fixed, and we can fix it in a way that minimises harm to people, the environment and the entire wastewater system, then yes — let’s do it. This was, and still is, GDC’s intentions. That, in my view, is a local authority doing its job and doing it well and thoughtfully. I fully support what GDC are trying to achieve, acknowledge the complexities they are dealing with, and thank them for their leadership on this matter.
This is a situation of “a little bit of pain for long-term gain” in terms of the outfall pipe. (Please do not take this out of context: I do not like an ocean sewage discharge; however, this is the situation we are in and how our current wastewater system is designed — for now).
It was highly unfortunate that the proposed fix to the underwater outfall pipe would coincide with a national surfing event. It’s highly fortunate we have a spectacular coastline rich with surf-breaks so that this less-than-ideal situation would not disrupt our surfing event.
