Concerns Glenorchy's proposed reticulated wastewater scheme is a "fait accompli'' are unfounded, the local council's chief engineer says.
Resident and Kinloch Lodge owner John Glover spoke to last week's Queenstown Lakes District Council meeting about some of his worries about the scheme, including the potential costs and a perceived lack of communication between the council and wider community.
Mr Glover told the Otago Daily Times after the meeting he was one of a group of residents concerned about the potential for a "heavily engineered'' system that would be "blown out of all budget''.
"Unfortunately, we have to pay the total cost as a community ... It's a targeted rate and ring-fenced within the community.
"And there's no comeback.
"If council has got a scheme and it costs $6million and we say ‘OK, that's pretty reasonable' and then they say ‘Actually, it cost ... $15million and we're sorry about that, but that's just what you've got to pay', there's no redress to council.''
He said the community was told it would cost $15,000 per property for the system to be installed, to be paid within 15 years.
He said he attended a meeting where council chief engineer Ulrich Glasner was asked what would happen if people could not afford the cost.
"To ... look him in the eye and have him say: ‘Well, people should just sell their land and leave', it was absolutely outrageous.''
When contacted, Mr Glasner said that comment was taken out of context.
The meeting was more of a "brainstorming session'' that included discussion about what would happen if people could not pay.
"We've said people really should come in and we will find a solution - worst-case scenario, what no-one really wants, is that someone has to move on.
"But this has, in my experience, never happened.''
The council was preparing detailed cost comparisons, to be completed by the beginning of next month, that would consider options the community was promoting as well as the option presented by the council.
The council's "first approach'' was a hybrid system, providing properties in flood-prone areas with a pressure sewer system to prevent infiltration into the wastewater scheme, while other properties would be provided with a connection through the conventional gravity wastewater scheme.
The estimated capital cost of that scheme was $15,750 plus GST per property, with an annual operating cost of about $800.
At this stage, there was no commitment to any one scheme.
A consent application was still to be lodged with the Otago Regional Council, and the assessment of environmental effects was still in draft form.
The consent would be subject to public notification and hearings.
Provided consent was granted and there were no Environment Court appeals, the "best-case scenario'' would go out for tender in August with construction beginning around October, Mr Glasner said.
"My estimate would be between 10 and 12 months to finish the scheme - it's a big job.''
