On 27 August 2026 the Nukuhau Residents Society Inc made a presentation to the Hamilton Residents & Ratepayers Association giving an overview of their issues with the planned Southern Wastewater Treatment Plant (SWWTP). The new wastewater treatment plant is to be located between Hamilton City and the Airport, and the site selection process has been controversial.
The Nukuhau Residents Society Inc is calling for the following:
- “Relocate the plant. Don’t stop the project.”
- “Move it to a genuinely better site — outside lifestyle and residential-zoned land.”
- “Release the missing Tangata Whenua effects assessment (TWEA) report.”
- “Full transparency on how the land purchase was funded, and any conflicts of interest.”
- “Independent peer review of the site selection process & final decision, and the wider project.”
- “Straight, public answers on river discharge safety “
Nukuhau Residents Society Inc has publicly raised a number of concerns, including:
- How the valuation of the land for the 131 Raynes Road site increased from $2.8 million to $5.65 million during 2022, resulting in a higher sale price paid by Hamilton City Council.
- “The landowner who offered the land was an ex-Waipa DC councilor and a Future Proof Committee member.”
- Hamilton City Council “approved bringing forward $5.65m from the 2023/24 Long Term Plan wastewater budget into 2022/23, specifically to enable this purchase” of the land.
- The Raynes Road site was added to the short-list of proposed sites only after after the Council had purchased the land.
- The Tangata Whenua Effects Assessment Report, which was heavily-weighted in the site assessments, has not yet been released to the public.
The presentation from Nukuhau Residents Society Inc can be viewed at this link:
The Nukuhau Residents Society Inc can be contacted at :
nukuhauresidents@gmail.com
In June 2026, the IAWAI board approved their preferred options to:
- Discharging treated wastewater directly into the Waikato River.
- Build the new treatment plant on the Raynes Road site.
- Use the Fast Track Approvals Act 2024 to obtain consents for the new treatment plant.
This was announced by IAWAI in the following e-Newsletter
Southern Wastewater Treatment Plant e-newsletter 28 August 2026
Further reading on this issue:
Meeting Thursday 27 August 2026 – Hamilton Residents & Ratepayers Association Incorporated
