Concerns that areas of Hamilton are “wastewater network constrained”

On the 8th of April 2025, Hamilton City Council held a Strategic Growth and District Plan Committee meeting.

The meeting’s public forum was unusually well-attended with a number of concerned people speaking to the agenda item of “Wastewater Capacity – ‘State of the Nation'”.

Many public forum speakers were property developers and builders who are concerned that resource consents are being blocked in some suburbs due to the risks of the existing sewage network being overwhelmed.

Hamilton City Council staff described the situation as…

“14. There is a high level of awareness amongst developers of these constrained areas, which has significantly impacted the number of proposed developments taken forward to the consenting stage in those areas.

15. Since March 2023, Council has received over 1,600 wastewater capacity queries for brownfield development areas. Of those, 46% (754) have been advised of network constraints, and subsequently no development has taken place. No resource consents have been granted in constrained areas in this time, beyond those Council had previously committed to. In the same period, Council has consented over 2,150 new lots/dwellings in other parts of the city, with around two-thirds of those being infill developments.”

Page 37-38 of Strategic Growth and District Plan Committee Agenda 8 April 2025- OPEN

With further technical details of the issue described below:

Page 37 of Strategic Growth and District Plan Committee Agenda 8 April 2025- OPEN

Links

The Council meeting Agenda:

https://storage.googleapis.com/hccproduction-web-assets/public/Uploads/Documents/Agendas-and-minutes/Agendas/Strategic-Growth-and-District-Plan-Committee-Open-Agenda-8-April-2025-v2.pdf

Full video of the Council meeting: