Waterview motorways project strikes stormwater snag

An architects impression of the Waterview tunnel's air vent. Photo / Supplied

Auckland's $1.7 billion Waterview motorways project could face trouble because its designers have not provided a replacement treatment scheme for a student hostel's stormwater discharges.

Environment Court Judge Laurie Newhook has - as chairman of a board of inquiry into the plan - shown frustration at the Transport Agency's failure to cater for discharges into Oakley Creek from the hostel in Great North Rd, which Unitec leases for its students.

The agency wants to build a construction yard on about 1000sq m of land next to the creek. The land contains treatment ponds for hostel stormwater runoff and about 3000 native trees which are covered by a conservation covenant.

The proposed depot would be the northern depot for construction of two motorway tunnels between Waterview and Owairaka.

But Judge Newhook became concerned about the plan when told by a co-owner of the building, George Richardson, that if the treatment ponds were removed under a lease the agency was demanding over his land, the stormwater would have nowhere to go, putting the hostel in breach of its resource consent.

"Things are looking pretty scruffy," the judge told Transport Agency lawyers.

Agency lawyer Cameron Law said his client intended to address any disruption to stormwater services.

Judge Newhook hopes to wrap up the hearing at the end of next week before the board decides by June whether to approve the motorways project.