The draft LTP, on which the council asked for public feedback, had a budget of $647m.
The community had said the project to improve the treatment and discharge of wastewater was not affordable but also said to get on with it, Smith said.
The methodology used to arrive at the preferred option needed to be checked and the costs and staging of the project challenged.
“If we go to $400 [million] we stop, we rip up $5m worth of work, we start again, we destroy relationships and I don’t think that’s what you all want to do.”
Roly Fitzgerald was one of four councillors who changed their minds on the budget. He took responsibility for not doing his homework to realise a $400m cap would mean discharging all treated wastewater into the Manawatū River.
In 2009, it was reported the river was the dirtiest in the world. “I don’t want to be part of that going forward.”
Leonie Hapeta also changed her mind. She said it was a pragmatic move as an option was needed that most councillors could agree with.
Rachel Bowen happily admitted the $400m budget she had supported was “entirely plucked out of thin air”, saying it was never about the number. It was more important to have another look at the options and reset the community conversation to get everyone on the same page.
In the interest of getting on with the project, she supported the rescinding.
Lew Findlay also changed his mind but did not explain why.
Vaughan Dennison said there were no new arguments in favour of a bigger budget.
Karen Naylor said the community could not afford the project in its current form.
William Wood said it was a disservice to the community “charging on with the process when we know quite possibly full well that we can’t afford to build it”.
Deputy Mayor Debi Marshall-Lobb said she was grateful that officers had brought the issue back to the table and rescinding would help the council move forward.
The council’s website says Nature Calls is “the biggest environmental and financial decision for our city”.
“Since we got our last [resource] consent back in 2006, laws and standards have changed, along with many people’s views about the environment. This means that our current treatment method isn’t sufficient to meet future requirements, given our growth and higher standards.”
In 2021, the council selected its “best practicable option” with a mix of river and land discharge.
On Monday, elected members instructed the chief executive to work with Horizons Regional Council to pause the current consent application and rephase the timing of Nature Calls to allow for a review of options.
The extraordinary meeting was called to adopt for audit the final draft LTP by Audit New Zealand.
How they saw it
For a budget of $480m excluding inflation: Brent Barrett, Rachel Bowen, Lew Findlay, Roly Fitzgerald, Pat Handcock, Leonie Hapeta, Debi Marshall-Lobb, Orphee Mickalad, Grant Smith, Kaydee Zabelin.
Against: Mark Arnott, Vaughan Dennison, Billy Meehan, Karen Naylor, William Wood.
Councillor Lorna Johnson was not at the meeting.
Judith Lacy has been editor of the Manawatū Guardian since December 2020. She graduated from journalism school in 2001, and this is her second role editing a community paper.
