Matata sewerage case underway

A fifth party has joined the court struggle over whether Whakatane District Council (WDC) will carry through plans to install a sewerage scheme at Matata.

Now, WDC is not only facing opposition from Matata residents, who say they cannot afford to meet the costs the scheme will impose on them, but also the owners of the land on which they were planning to build the treatment plant.


The proposed sewerage scheme at Matata. Photo: Whakatane District Council.

It also suggests the case may yet return to the Maori Land Court, regardless of the decision that comes out of the three-week Environment Court hearing that got underway today.

A number of the land's 400 or so owners are protesting the decision of their trustees who made the lease agreement with WDC.

The Maori Land Court upheld the actions of the trustees, but the owners are now joining Sustainable Matata in opposing the council scheme and they want to remove the trustees - an action which itself requires Maori Land Court approval.

Environment Court Judge Jeff Smith is presiding, assisted on the bench by Maori Land Court Judge Caren Fox, as well as Environment Court Commissioners Jim Hodges and Anne Leijnen.

The land owners are represented in court by barrister Rob Enright. Neville Harris is representing Sustainable Matata on his own account.

In addition there are teams of lawyers representing the WDC, and the Bay of Plenty Regional Council, plus representatives for the trustees.

Some of the issues facing the court were flagged by Judge Smith during barrister Vanessa Hamm's opening for WDC.

The trustees' decision to lease the land is legal, unless there is some further decision by the Maori Land Court.

'I want it out in the open so everyone else can comment on it,” says Judge Smith.

Alternative options raised by Sustainable Matata, such as connecting Matata's sewer to Edgecumbe or Kawerau, cannot be supported by the court because they would also be subject at some stage to a resource consent hearing.

'The real alternative here is nothing,” says the Judge.

If the scheme does not go ahead, Vanessa Hamm says Matata will be under a regional council maintenance zone, where some individual houses may face significant costs bringing their septic tank systems up to modern standards.

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3 comments

Wisechief

Posted on 27-01-2015 20:27 | By Wise Chief

Wonder why current septic tanks would need to be upgraded when ground tanks in are already pumice sand mix creating the best sewerage filter mix possible the area being the river mouth and thus the deposit below is deep. Fortunate fact for owners of homes of which no one seems to want to mention. Did anyone ask where the sewerage was going after processing in the proposed $12million dollar plant which would take place in large pools using similar above ground filter beds. Not unlike those occurring naturally below. New solar processing tanks would be much cheaper option.Matata is were first Maoris arrived in BOP coming direct down Kemedec Trench sea lane which traverses to and from Pacific to mid ocean gyre.Te Parata. So why RC in control, what happened to true owners having a say in their ancestral lands.???? Its their Patent right.


Wisechief

Posted on 28-01-2015 09:17 | By Wise Chief

The scenario RC is seeking to impose upon the Original Te Arawa/Rangitihi Maori owners of all these is to force the $12 Million dollar sewerage plant upon to the locals and them to continually increase the rates to the point where those on fixed incomes like pensions will have to sell their properties to be able to pay their rates. Rents to will increase as property speculators move in an take over. This is exactly what has been done all over the country and was done at Mount, Maketu, Little Waihi and now Matata. This resulted in many of the elderly dying from stress of having to subdivide their homes to be able to pay the sudden rate increases. The sheer destruction of the long settled Mount Community was dramatic to say the least. The number of mature fruit trees and other exotics also a major blow to the area.


If

Posted on 28-01-2015 13:15 | By Capt_Kaveman

anyone talks about THE MOUNT as in Mt Maunganui which was the 1st sizable town in NZ to be on a full sewage scheme and to my knowledge is was welcomed by open arms as most dug the ditches themslves


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