KEY POINTS:
Planning for a gas-fired power station northwest of Auckland is firming up before next month's hearing of its bid for permits and resource consents.
Yesterday, state-owned generator Genesis Energy, Rodney District Council and iwi Ngati Whatua Nga Rima o Kaipara signed a memorandum of understanding which sets deadlines
for investigating a novel source of water - a town's sewerage treatment plant.
Genesis is seeking consent to draw and discharge water from the nearby Kaukapakapa River but says it prefers to get it from a possible wastewater treatment and reuse plant at Helensville, about 10km away.
However, the council is unlikely to be able to afford a modern plant before 2016, said Rodney Mayor Penny Webster.
"Helensville-Parakai growth is being held back by lack of sewerage system capacity. The plant's permits have run out and we have had to put a moratorium on connections.
"Iwi have concerns about what Helensville and the power station are going to do with its waste water because we want to stop it going into Kaipara Harbour."
Mrs Webster said the council had so many works projects on its plate it welcomed the chance of a partnership with Genesis to set up a plant for both organisations to use.
Genesis has bought 42ha of land as a potential site for a wastewater treatment plant.
"We need to do something and it's good to see the parties are working to have something on the table for us to consider, in weeks rather than months," said Mrs Webster.
The memorandum says Genesis will confine its part of the investigations into proving waste water will be accessible to a station and will be of sufficient quality and quantity to provide its needs for about 700cu m of wastewater a day. The treatment plant type and location must be known by September 3 and cost sharing sorted out before planning commissioners hear the station's permit and consent applications on September 24.
The Herald understands that Genesis will proceed with its application for use of the river water as a back-up plan should the treatment plant station not proceed.
Genesis chief executive Murray Jackson said the signing was a significant and personal milestone and Genesis was "very much a part" of the Rodney community.
One of the organisations concerned about use of river water is Kaipara Forest & Bird.
Convener Suzi Phillips said the move made it look like both the council and Genesis expected the power station to go ahead, though the hearing had not yet taken place.
Kaukapakapa Residents & Ratepayers Association chairman Neville Miller said the group would still oppose the station.
