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Time to be taken to decide next step for wastewater
Commissioners for Environment
Canterbury in effect rejected a City
Council scheme to discharge treated
wastewater into the Avon Heathcote
Estuary. At its 23 May Council meeting
councillors heard that a proforma
appeal needed to be lodged with the
Environment Court in order to give
Council staff and councillors time to
make measured decisions about the
future of city wastewater. Putting in an appeal did not mean
that the City Council was committed
to going ahead with an appeal. It
simply allowed the Council to keep
its options open and gave it time to
consider carefully and thoroughly the
direction it wishes to take. It could
withdraw its appeal at any time if it
decided that was the best course. In July councillors will meet again to
examine staff reports and consider
what should be done. “If the Council chooses to then
confirm its appeal, either in part or in
whole, it will then have opportunities
to have preliminary hearings and
negotiations with interested parties
and potentially resolve issues
before the Environment Court
hears the case, ”the 23 May
decision says. “Or, the Council may choose to
move down an alternative path to
the Estuary discharge and instruct
staff to start working toward those
ends.” |