The Wairoa District Council's Opoutama project to combine a realignment of Ormond Dr with a wastewater treatment plant has been granted resource consent by the Hawke's Bay Regional Council.
Wairoa District Council engineering manager Neil Cook said it was now time to finalise capital costs and confirm the central government subsidy.
"Theframework is in place, so now we need to get into the detailed figures that will tell us what each person has to pay," he said.
Numerous conditions attached to the consents included extensive monitoring conditions for the wastewater output.
Mr Cook said the monitoring requirements were significant due to their ongoing nature.
"We will need to look closely at the implications in terms of operational costs," he said.
Once the capital costs and operational costs were established, council staff would go back to the community to discuss the facts and get feedback to take to councillors for a final decision.
The Ormond Dr realignment related to moving part of the road 80m south.
The new section of road would cross the railway line over a new rail crossing north of Foster's Garage. It would pass south of the Ruawharawhara urupa and to the north of the Blue Bay subdivision and turn south into the existing Ormond Dr. The former section of Ormond Dr would be closed.
The roading project would incorporate two wastewater dispersal areas on native-planted reserve land near the new road.
Engineering manager Neil Cook said it made sense to deal with the two issues together and create one master plan for the area, rather than double resources.
"Basically, a new option had to be sorted out to replace the road that currently runs over the urupa and at the same time the Opoutama community wanted some attention given to their wastewater situation.
"In many cases the same people are affected by both of these issues so we have come up with a plan that should satisfy all involved at a reduced cost to rate-payers," he said.
About $500,000 was budgeted for the road, while the majority of the waste dispersal costs would be covered by a planned $1.56 million Ministry of Health subsidy.
The consents were still subject to appeal from submitters to the Environment Court.
