The Environment Court has accepted Rotorua Lakes Council’s undertaking to pause work on Stage 1 of the Tarawera Sewerage Scheme while it considers three applications filed in relation to the work.

The applications seek a decision of the Court that resource consent is required for that section of the work within the Lake Rotokākahi Policy Area of the District Plan.

Council’s position is that the work is a permitted activity in the District Plan.

Installation of the pipeline has progressed well thanks to the hard work of contractors. With 23 km of pipe already installed, only 800 meters of the pipe remains to be installed in Stage 1, subject to the Court’s decision.

Site fencing and traffic management by Lake Rotokākahi will remain in place for now. Security will also remain in the area for safety reasons with police available if required.

Rotorua Lakes Council Chief Executive Andrew Moraes says Council has acted in good faith throughout this project and he is confident the right processes have been followed.

“This is not where we want to be at this stage of the project, but we will work through the Court process.

“We are deeply disappointed that with 23km of pipe already laid, we have to pause the works at this late stage. Significant public resources have been committed to this project,” Mr Moraes says.

“We will resume and complete this project as soon as we are permitted.”

Prior to the project resuming this week, works had been paused for some months following obstruction by protesters and to allow further engagement with iwi and mana whenua to address concerns raised.

To ensure the safety of contractors and work sites and avoid further delays, Council applied for an injunction so works could continue safely.

The injunction, which was granted in the Rotorua District Court in November last year, prevents anyone from obstructing or interfering with the installation of the pipeline along Tarawera Road or entering the work zone without authorisation from the Council or its contractors.

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

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

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.

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

The Archaeological Report identified that previous modifications of the road corridor significantly reduced the likelihood of the presence of any significant archaeological features within the work area.

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