Work to complete Stage 1 of the Tarawera Sewerage Scheme will resume on February 24.

A section of Tarawera Road will be temporarily closed from 8pm on February 24 while the worksite near Lake Rotokākahi is re-established. Rotorua Lakes Council will be endeavouring to have one lane of the road reopen with traffic control measures by 7am the following day.

Arrangements will be in place to allow emergency services to pass through the area during the period of the temporary road closure.

Council apologises for any inconvenience the temporary road closure may cause.

Infrastructure and Environment Group Manager Stavros Michael says, as part of the planning for work to resume, council has been engaging with partners and stakeholders including iwi, mana whenua, Tarawera residents and protestors.

“We respect this area and its significance to iwi and mana whenua. Council has engaged in numerous hui with iwi and mana whenua since the project was paused to address their concerns about the work being carried out by Lake Rotokākahi.”

Mitigation measures have been introduced to help alleviate the concerns raised.

These measures include –

• Double sleeving of the section of pipeline being laid 2 metres underneath the concrete culverts of the Wairoa stream.
• A pou tikanga (cultural monitor) appointed by mana whenua to observe the final stage of the reticulation pipeline to give our contractors guidance.
• Establishing procedures whereby any early warning signals for pipeline faults will trigger a pump station pause and alert nominated mana whenua representatives.
• Participation of mana whenua representatives in any remedial actions if required
• Council will include financial resources in its budget to undertake remedial work if required.
• Council will work with mana whenua nominated representatives to establish a long-term mana whenua response group, with a wider and long-term scope of monitoring the performance of the reticulation network and future planning for the Tarawera catchment.

Measures will also be taken to ensure people have reasonable access to their whenua and the lake while the work is carried out.

The purpose of the Tarawera scheme, which will connect about 450 current properties to a new reticulated sewerage system, is to protect the health of the community, the lake and downstream catchments.

Without the scheme, wastewater from septic tanks will continue to leach through groundwater into Lake Tarawera.

“Lake Tarawera is a taonga tuku iho (ancestral treasure) and it is acknowledged there is a deep connection for mana whenua. All consultation to date indicates that the majority of the community wish to protect the lake,” Mr Michael says.

Installation of pipework under Tarawera Rd, which began in March 2023, is almost finished with about 1.3km of pipe still to be installed.

Works to complete the mains pipeline were paused in January 2024 after work was obstructed by protesters and further engagement with iwi and mana whenua was carried out in an effort to address concerns raised.

The Council made an application to the court and an injunction was issued in November last year by Rotorua District Court, reaffirming Council’s legal right to install the sewerage pipeline within the road corridor, unobstructed. The injunction’s main purpose is to ensure the safety of contractors, of protestors and members of the general public.

“We respect the right to peaceful protest but must also ensure the safety of contractors and the public when work resumes,” Mr Michael says.

It is expected to take about four weeks to finish the remaining pipeline work and CCTV and security will be on site to ensure the safety of all. Staff and contractors aim to have the work completed as soon as possible.

“The Lake Tarawera sewerage scheme has been the result of extensive community consideration over many years, including discussion with and input from iwi and hapū. Arriving at the preferred option followed careful consideration of all technical, environmental, cultural, financial, and planning factors,” Mr Michael says.

“This is a vital project to protect the health of the lakes, community, and natural environment.”

Background

In 2015, Rotorua Lakes Council, Bay of Plenty Regional Council, the Te Arawa Lakes Trust and the community began exploring options to protect the water quality of Lake Tarawera.

The Lake Tarawera Sewerage Steering Committee, which included representatives from Tūhourangi Tribal Authority, Te Mana o Ngāti Rangitihi, Māori landowners, Lake Tarawera Ratepayers Association, Te Arawa Lakes Trust, Bay of Plenty Regional Council and Rotorua Lakes Council, was formed.

In 2018, the committee looked at a number of options for better sewerage management and opted for the option to install low-pressure grinder pumps onto properties and to connect these to a new reticulated sewer system to Rotorua’s main treatment plant via Tarawera Road.

Two Cultural Impact Assessments and an Archaeological Report were commissioned to assess the potential impacts of the scheme.

Iwi and mana whenua indicated that there were a range of cultural impacts likely to result from the installation of a wastewater treatment system but that the negative effects of sewage on the mauri of Lake Tarawera was the most significant impact and something needed to be done urgently.

The archaeological report identified that previous modifications on the road corridor significantly reduced the likelihood of the presence of any significant archaeological features in the path of the pipeline.

Rotorua Lakes Council adopted the project following a request from the Lake Tarawera Sewerage Steering Committee in 2020

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