Watercare ditches plan for giant water plant at Oratia

Watercare has decided to add to the existing water treatment plant in Titirangi.

Watercare has ditched plans for a huge $396 million water treatment plant at Oratia.

The decision is a huge victory for the close community of Oratia, which faced the loss of up to 18 homes and rural properties, and furiously opposed the plant plan.

But the Watercare board today decided to build a new plant alongside the existing Huia water treatment plant at Titirangi, removing native bush to do so.

Watercare had identified two sites on the narrow, dead-end Parker Rd for the new treatment plant to replace the 90-year-old Huia plant, which treats water from the dams in the Waitakere Ranges.

The new plant is planned to be more efficient and boost water treatment by up to 15 per cent. Along with a new pipeline to North Harbour it will help meet the growth needs of northwest Auckland.

"You would go a long way before finding another community like it [Oratia] in Auckland, opponent Paul Goldsmith told the Herald when the proposal hit the headlines in February.

"It's deeply rooted in its heritage with families who have been here for over 100 years."

Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett, who has lived at Oratia for the past eight years, backed the local community.

In a statement, board chairwoman Margaret Devlin said: "The board has supported the recommendation of Watercare management to build the new plant on the Manuka Road site which sits adjacent to the existing operation.

"We have given due consideration to advice from independent consultants and Watercare's specialist management who investigated the short-list of four sites.

"The only amendment to Watercare management's recommendation is to bolster the efforts to minimise the adverse effects on significant trees within the construction area, and to ensure that we undertake appropriate off-set mitigation. In addition the board has asked management to establish a community liaison group to act as the key communication point.

"Through the assessment process, Parker Road North and Manuka Road emerged as the preferred sites. And from a balance of the technical and environmental plus economic perspectives, there was no real difference between them.

"However the key question was about minimising loss. The loss of trees and vegetation on the Manuka Road site can be mitigated by Watercare's progressive planting of an 1800-hectare block in the Hunua Ranges," Devlin said.

The four options investigated:

Parker Rd (north site)
One of two sites at Oratia, affecting 12 properties.
Pros:Good elevation and plenty of open land.
Cons: Strong opposition from locals.

Parker Rd (south site)
One of two sites at Oratia, affecting 18 properties.
Pros: Good elevation and plenty of open land.
Cons: Strong opposition from locals

Huia Water Treatment site, Titirangi
Pros: Site of existing treatment plan
Cons: Would take 20 per cent of Auckland's water out for more than two years. Includes native bush in a protected ecological zone.

Manuka Rd
Alongside Huia treatment plant.
Pros: Close to existing plant.
Cons: Contains native bush in a protected ecological zone.