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25. 6. 97
DISCHARGE CONSENT SUB-COMMITTEE
12 JUNE 1997
A meeting of the Discharge Consent
Sub-Committee
was held on Thursday 12 June 1997 at 8.00 am
PRESENT: Councillor Denis O'Rourke (Chairman), Councillors David Close, Carole Evans and Ron Wright.
IN ATTENDANCE: Mike Bourke (Liquid Wastes Manager), Walter Lewthwaite (Liquid Wastes Engineer) and Andrew Nichols (Waste Investigations Officer).
The Committee reports that:
PART A - MATTERS REQUIRING A COUNCIL DECISION
1. CHRISTCHURCH WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT DISCHARGE CONSENT RR 5481
The purpose of this report is to advise of progress with seeking a discharge consent for the Christchurch Wastewater Treatment Plan.
The working party has reached agreement on the content of the Issues and Options brief and recommended this to the Discharge Consent Sub-Committee. The Sub-Committee considered this document in detail at this meeting, and the updated version is attached to this report for adoption by the Council.
During the meeting the Waste Management Unit was requested to investigate and report to the City Services Committee on the effect of the use of garbage disposal units on the wastewater system, and their contribution to the amount of BOD in the wastewater.
| Officer responsible | Author |
| Waste Manager | Walter Lewthwaite |
| Corporate Plan Output: Liquid Waste |
The purpose of this report is to seek the approval of the Council to the Issues and Options brief that has been prepared by the discharge consent working party and the Discharge Consent Sub-Committee.
(a) RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ACT
The Resource Management Act sets the parameters for the process and end product involved in obtaining a discharge consent. The two key matters for the Council to be aware of at this point in time are:
1. The breadth of issues considered. Interpretations being applied to the Act emphasise the need to consider issues and options in the widest possible terms and that these matters must be considered seriously.
2. The consultations done in developing a consent application. Applicants must be able to demonstrate that they have consulted all significant interest groups with an open mind.
(b) COMMUNITY WORKING PARTY
In August 1996 the Council approved a programme of studies and consultation leading to a resource consent application for the treated effluent from the city's main wastewater treatment plant at Bromley. A key tool in this process was to be the establishment of a working party (or parties) whose function was to build up experience, and to obtain, sift and develop community views in order to be able to guide the Council in its decision making. The members of this party comprise:
One independent facilitator
In February 1997 the key role of this working party was again endorsed by a Council resolution:
That the Christchurch City Council recognises the integrity, independence and important role of the Working Party in determining appropriate options for wastewater discharge from the Christchurch plant. The Council will give serious consideration without prejudice to the issues raised and to adoption of recommendations of the Working Party.
(c) PROCESS OF DEVELOPING ISSUES AND OPTIONS BRIEF
The following steps have been taken in preparing the brief:
An initial public meeting in November 1996 to launch the consultation process and establish the Working Party.
News media releases including invitations to meetings and progress reports in The Press, community newspapers and City Scene.
Eight meetings of the Working Party, over the period December 1996 to May 1997.
Wider community consultations that included four special interest meetings over February and March 1996, targeting:
Three Working Party subgroup meetings in April, considering:
Two meetings with Ngai Tahu representatives.
A meeting with the City Services sub-committee.
(d) THE BRIEF
Features of the brief that has been developed are:
It has obtained strong consensus support from the consultation process set up by the Council,
It has a broad scope to cover the requirements of the Resource Management Act and addresses the matters raised by community groups,
It has a focus on issues that the Working Party sees as most important,
It is detailed enough to ensure the important issues are addressed but flexible enough to ensure the selected consultant/s have scope to use their expertise,
It is structured to allow the Council to have active input during both the contract negotiation phase and the execution phase,
It encourages cooperation between the best experts that New Zealand has to offer,
It asks for a finished product that is clearly targeted at our customers - ie Christchurch ratepayers.
(e) COUNCILLOR INVOLVEMENT IN THE PROCESS SO FAR
In August 1996 Councillors O'Rourke, Wright and Evans were appointed to represent the Council on the working party and they have been kept fully informed about its deliberations. At least one Councillor has attended most meetings.
In May 1997 the Council passed the following resolution:
That the Council delegate to Councillors O'Rourke, Close, Evans and Wright the authority to recommend to the Council the brief for the discharge consent issues and options study, and the authority to approve the selection of consultants to do this study.
This sub-committee met on 12 June to consider the brief prepared by the working party and Council staff. The sub-committee revised various details:
To make it clearer that decisions on outcomes will be made by the Council,
To ask for a comparison between the Avon/Heathcote estuary and other estuaries in relation to heavy metal status,
To alter a request relating to the relevance of producing drinking water quality effluent,
To identify legislative changes needed if a particular wastewater reduction strategy were to be followed,
To increase the cost guideline for the size of the issues and options study, and
To clarify and rationalise the process of reporting to the Council at the end of the issues and options study.
(f) NEXT STEPS
Set out below is a table that describes the expected process from now until a contract is let for the issues and options study.
It is hoped this will be completed in September. This process fits the decision of the Council at its meeting in May 1997.
WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT DISCHARGE CONSENT
EXPECTED TIMETABLE OF EVENTS 1997
| Event | Council Approvals | Contract Process |
| 1. Working Party approves Issues and Options brief and recommends it to the Council | 26 May | |
| 2. Council staff advertise for registration of interest from consultants | 31 May | |
| 3. Council staff write report to City Services Committee recommending Issues and Options brief | 30 May | |
| 4. Closing date for registration of interest | 9 June | |
| 5. City Services sub-committee meets and approves brief | early June | |
| 6. Council staff select short list of consultants | 20 June | |
| 7. Council approves Issues and Options brief on recommendation of City Services sub-committee | 25 June | |
| 8. Brief sent to short-listed consultants | 26 June | |
| 9. Closing date for consultants' proposals | 25 July | |
| 10. Council staff (with input from Working Party subgroup) evaluate proposals and report to City Services sub-committee | early August | |
| 11. City Services sub-committee evaluates proposals | mid August | |
| 12. City Services sub-committee approves selection of consultant | 9 Sept | |
| 13. Council staff advise selected consultant to start work | 10 Sept |
Recommendation: That the Council adopt the attached issues and options brief developed by the wastewater consent working party and the City Services Discharge Consent Sub-Committee.
Chairman's Recommendation: That the Council adopt the attached issues and options brief.
The meeting concluded at 11.00 am
CONSIDERED THIS 25TH DAY OF JUNE 1997
MAYOR