Bay of Islands Community Wastewater Scheme: Application for Resource Consent for the proposed Mega-Sewerage Scheme. The Far North District Council has applied for Resource Consent to build an enormous sewerage treatment plant at the Waitangi wetlands to discharge all of the Bay of Islands sewage, including Russell's into the wetlands.
The closing date for submissions was 28 June 2007. It appears that this project is the cornerstone for Council's grand plan for the development of a "Bay of Islands City", which would include the intensification of the whole of the Russell Peninsula.
Council's own figures tell the story - the new scheme would treat and discharge 10,000 cubic meters of effluent per day, catering for a population of some 50,000 (we calculate 60,000) people by the year 2026. The current population of the area is roughly 10 - 11,000 people. The present rate of population growth is 0 - 7% for the Bay of Islands and therefore the Council's proposal represents a dramatic change for the area. It is very annoying that FNDC didn't think that it was appropriate to first consult with the Bay of Islands community before taking such a dramatic step. This application is currently being processed and hopefully reviewed and scaled down. (click to read submission)