Sewage spill: Council given several warnings

Roger Hennebry. Photo / APN

Waikato Regional Council gave multiple warnings to the city council over spilling sewage into the Waikato River before deciding to prosecute, a city councillor revealed yesterday.

Hamilton City Council's operations and performance committee meeting yesterday criticised the way the regional council sprang the decision to take them to court over spilling 90,000 litres of sewage into the Waikato River in July last year. The council could be fined up to $600,000.

A staff member is also being prosecuted for breaching the Resource Management Act when litres of human effluent were spilled from the Pukete Wastewater Treatment plant. The staff member faces a maximum fine of $300,000 and up to two years in prison.

City council city infrastructure general manager Chris Allen said the first he, the mayor and chief executive, knew of the prosecution was when files were lodged with the court.

Shortly after, the regional council announced it publicly and most city councillors first learned about it in the media the following morning.

Mr Allen said the council was still waiting for the report outlining the results of the investigation which could be two to three weeks away.

"We are a little bit surprised they have had an investigation and we have not had the findings of that investigation."

Waikato Regional Council chief executive Bob Laing said the council was reviewing its processes as a result of the council's criticism of how the city council was informed of the prosecution.

However, city councillor Roger Hennebry said he had been told from a regional councillor they had lodged three prior complaints about sewage going into the river before prosecuting. Mr Hennebry's wife, Jane Hennebry, is a regional councillor.

"I'm actually appalled at it and I'm appalled because Waikato Regional Council over three months had given our council three warnings about an issue which they perceived to be ignored."

It is understood the issue began in June 2011 and the city council employed a consultant to address the problem.

City councillor Dave Macpherson also criticised the communication between the two local government entities. He said a senior councillor at the regional council had told him the city council had been fully informed of the prosecution but he believed that was not the case.

City councillor John Gower raised concerns about the processes between the two councils and objected to a staff member being singled out.

Mr Laing would not comment on past issues at the Pukete plant, the council's reasons for prosecuting over the July spill and for prosecuting a staff member.

Meanwhile, the city council is making changes to its processes, including staff training, as part of the $32 million upgrade to the Pukete wastewater treatment plant.