Smelly Queenstown sewage is at the centre of an Environment Court appeal bringing together the Otago Regional Council, the Queenstown Lakes District Council and Frankton property developers for a hearing scheduled in Wanaka next month.
The QLDC is set to lock horns with the regional council over the planned $42 million Project Shotover wastewater treatment plant at Frankton on the Shotover River Delta between the State Highway 6 bridge and the confluence of the Shotover and Kawarau Rivers.
The council has appealed to the Environment Court regarding several resource consent conditions set down by the ORC in a decision issued in March 2009 for consents relating to both the existing wastewater treatment and disposal facilities and the planned upgrade.
The regional council issued 10 consents to the QLDC for Project Shotover.
Property developers Shotover Park Ltd and Remarkables Park Ltd have weighed in to register a counter-appeal setting out the companies' formal opposition to the QLDC's appeal.
The council has appealed nine conditions contained in the regional council's March decision.
The council claims a condition requiring fencing of certain areas and the enclosure of septage ponds - used to store untreated and treated wastewater and sewage - is unreasonable and unnecessary.
Shotover Park and Remarkables Park contend their developments near the planned new sludge and treatment facility will be affected by odour from the wastewater plant.
While the two companies acknowledged the continued operation and upgrading of wastewater treatment facilities for Queenstown was important and necessary, the regional council had not "adequately addressed" the odour and "reverse sensitivity" effects in conditions in the March decision.
The companies want any odours produced by the planned new wastewater treatment facility to be "internalised" and want an upgraded facility to be enclosed.
The companies want the Environment Court to amend the regional council's consent conditions to have the new treatment plant's disposal fields and septage ponds enclosed to "ensure capture and treatment of odour".
An Environment Court spokesman told the Otago Daily Times a preliminary decision regarding the Shotover and Remarkables Park appeal was likely to be issued before the scheduled Wanaka hearing date of May 3.
