Council staff, contractors and local hapū turned out to the Kerikeri wastewater treatment plant dawn ceremony on Friday. Photo / Supplied
Council staff, contractors and local hapū turned out to the Kerikeri wastewater treatment plant dawn ceremony on Friday. Photo / Supplied
The long-awaited $27.1 million wastewater treatment plant in Kerikeri has been completed and was blessed during a dawn ceremony on Friday.
About 50 people turned out to the event, including councillors and council staff, representatives from the Northland district health board, contractors and local hapū Ngāti Rehia, Ngāti Rāhiri andNgāti Kawa.
The blessing of the treatment plant was led by mātua Kipa Munro, of Ngāti Rehia, at the site, on rural land about 3km south of Kerikeri, and was followed by speeches at the Turner Centre in Kerikeri.
Far North district councillor Rachel Smith said the plant was "a game-changer for our largest and fastest growing town".
"It will give us greater control on urban growth, and it will improve our natural environment," she said.
The new treatment plant replaces the existing 25-year-old plant in Shepherd Rd which has been operating at its limits for several years.
The long-awaited $27 million wastewater treatment plant in Kerikeri has been opened at a dawn ceremony. Photo / Supplied
Once connections are complete in May 2021, the plant will be able to treat 1000 cubic metres of wastewater a day and could be expanded to meet future growth, eventually treating up to 2000 cubic metres a day.
The project had also expanded the sewerage network around Kerikeri. That had already added 350 existing homes and businesses that use septic tanks to the reticulated system.
A further 350 to 400 new properties within the expanded reticulation network can also connect to the system.
The actual capacity of the new plant will be confirmed when fully commissioned and has operated in both dry and wet weather flow conditions.
The cost of the project started at $25.6m and increased by another $1.5m in September 2019, taking the total cost to $27.1m.
This will be offset by a $7.31m subsidy from the Ministry of Health.
Kerikeri's wastewater treatment plant site has been plagued by delays. This sod-turning ceremony was in March 2018. Photo / File
The project has also been plagued by delays.
The site was initially blessed in March 2018, when the project was expected to be completed by mid 2019.
Kerikeri households and businesses were expected to be able to connect to the scheme by July this year. That was extended until September, then next January.
Many residents have expressed frustration it has taken so long.
Kerikeri Residents and Ratepayers Association president Jane Johnston said the ratepayer's association was relieved the treatment plant had finally been completed.
Kerikeri Residents and Ratepayers Association president Jane Johnston said the area being reticulated and capacity of the network fails to cater to the demands of future urban development.
But "it's important to recall that in 2016 council insisted it had no time to consult ratepayers on the type of scheme we would get", she said.
"Council was steadfast that this new plant had to be commissioned by the end of 2017 or it would lose the $7m Ministry of Health subsidy.
"So, this plant and reticulation scheme, which we were never consulted upon, is three years late, is over budget, and has failed to address all of the issues associated with provisioning our communities with adequate sewerage infrastructure for the next 25 years."
Mayor John Carter has acknowledged the delays had been frustrating for homeowners and businesses.
The final phase of the project is to decommission the ageing plant.
