Over 70 people attended an afternoon meeting on the 9th of August, where a community on the edge of Hamilton city discussed their response to the recently announced Southern Wastewater Treatment Plant. It was one of the first steps in what the locals have called the “Stop The Stink!” campaign.
Hamilton City Council (HCC) purchased the “preferred site” for the treatment plant in 2022, though the Council has only recently informed neighbours of the plan to construct the wastewater plant at the site.
At the meeting it was acknowledged that Hamilton is growing and a new treatment plant south of the city is needed. However, the local community is concerned about the site selection process and impact on neighbours as well as the wider area. A major issue centred on the question of whether siting a new wastewater treatment plant among residential properties was best practice.
The process that HCC followed was a point of great concern. Dianne, an organiser of the meeting, presented slides with points such as: “Community not properly consulted”, “Unclear how the site was selected”, “Transparency improves community buy-in”, and “HCC withholding info creates distrust”. Further concerns raised included: the prospect of a decrease in property values without compensation, environmental damage (stream ecosystem and bat populations), noise and odour issues, and sites of importance to Mana Whenua.
Officially Hamilton City Council rejected an invitation to attend the meeting.
However, current Hamilton East Ward Councillor Andrew Bydder attended independently and explained that councillors, like most of the local community, were blindsided by the announcement of the preferred location for the Treatment Plant.
Other candidates also running for the Hamilton East Ward election spoke at the meeting and listened to concerns. Stuart Aitken and John McDonald were concerned with the lack of transparency and the underhanded treatment of the local community. At least 3 years of planning for this preferred site had occurred without open consultation. Rachel Karalus, who is standing for the Mayoralty, attended the meeting as a concerned resident to hear community views. She affirmed the importance of transparency and the need for no surprises in how council engages with residents.
The room discussed an unusual situation faced by the local community in terms of democratic accountability. Technically most of the local residents and the proposed treatment plant site are still located in the Waipa District Council, yet it is Hamilton City Council’s treatment plant. Waipa District Council has also negotiated to transfer the area around the proposed treatment plant to Hamilton City Council sometime in the future. Local residents have yet to be consulted on their Council’s plan to transfer their area (including them as ratepayers) to Hamilton City Council.
There was agreement from the room to work as a group to oppose the Council’s current proposed location and work to get the proposed Treatment Plant re-located.
The room contained a wealth of experience and skills, including Mana Whenua representatives along with those with backgrounds in construction, farming, engineering, and the law. Plans are underway to challenge the site selection and the process that led to that decision.
Help was offered from Better Hamilton and CityWatch NZ.
Further reading on this issue:
Investigating New Zealand’s Local Government Act 2002 – A Layperson’s Guide
