Fed-up boat club to flush wastewater into Otago Harbour

Ravensbourne Boating Club commodore Warwick Graham says the club has no choice but to use its facilities illegally. Photo / Peter McIntosh

The Ravensbourne Boating Club's commodore says the club has no choice but to illegally flush wastewater into the harbour as a historical land ownership issue drags on.

The club has been fighting to install a sewerage system for more than six years.

However, it has run into red tape as the land it is on has been in limbo since the disestablishment of the Otago Harbour Board in 1989.

Club commodore Warwick Graham said the club would start using its shower facilities this weekend, despite not having a proper sewerage system.

It was resorting to this as the Otago Regional Council was not responding to the club's concerns, he said.

''We are just going to use the facilities and it'll go into the harbour. I'll give them a call when I do. If I go to court, at least I'll get to talk to them.''

He also asked the council to provide a portable toilet for the club for the summer, otherwise sewage could be discharged into the harbour.

The Ravensbourne Boating Club. Photo / Peter McIntosh

''If not, we've got no other choice ... than to use the [toilets] in the clubhouse.''

In past seasons, the Dunedin City Council provided a portable toilet, but Mr Graham said it should not have to.

''I don't think we'll kill any fish if we put a bit of shower water into the harbour.''

The boat club has not used the shower facilities for three seasons, after the regional council served an abatement notice on the club.

The shower area is now used mostly for storage.

Children sailed up until the middle of winter, so not being able to use the facilities was a burden, he said.

''They can't go in and have a hot cuppa afterwards, because they can't do the dishes, and they can't have a hot shower.''

Even with a portable toilet, the club could not run proper regattas, he said.

Otago Regional Council corporate services director Nick Donnelly said the council had been dealing with the issue for some time.

''The question of who owns the land relates back to the local government amalgamation.

''The legal advice we have received is that ORC does not have an interest in that land.''

Regardless, it was continuing to work with Port Otago to determine how the issue could be resolved, he said.

The council did not respond to questions about whether it would supply a portable toilet or how it would react to the club releasing wastewater into the harbour.