Persistent debate about the city's wastewater treatment plant is destabilising growth and deterring potential new business development in Whanganui, according to one district councillor and mayoral aspirant.
Councillor Helen Craig said a sense of unreality "and quite frankly nonsense" was entering the debate on both the failed WWTP and new plant.
Mrs Craig said she could understand the community anxiety but council commissioned a new plant based on the only decision possible.
"We've done our job after an exhaustive process. But passionate people who believe they know more about wastewater plants than three independent contracted experts undermine confidence to the point they could destabilise our current growth phase and put off new business investment."
She said the legal settlement council reached against the old plant designers MWH meant council could now begin a transparent and an open independent inquiry into the failure of the old plant without compromising that settlement.