A community wastewater scheme in Cardrona came a step closer last week as a report identifying the most suitable site for a plant and disposal system was presented to residents.
About 30 people, including Queenstown Lakes District Council representatives, attended the meeting on Wednesday evening at the Cardrona Hotel, where QLDC Wanaka project manager Rob Darby and Rationale Ltd analyst Kate Wallace outlined options for developing the scheme and called for feedback from the community.
They said the lack of a wastewater scheme was a barrier to development in Cardrona.
A scheme would "unlock development potential in the town ... [and] by having that certainty, things might progress a little bit faster than they have in the past", Mrs Wallace said.
A community scheme would initially be privately owned, constructed and operated by a developer, but endorsed by the council and the community.
Although there was $100,000 in next year's council budget towards establishing a community scheme, "those funds can only be expended if the community wants us to get on with it", Mr Darby told residents.
"We're spending your money and that will be levied against the ratepayers."
Money spent would be recouped through wastewater rates and connection charges.
Farmer Tim Scurr asked why the "huge amount" of reserve contributions paid to QLDC from several large consented developments in Cardrona would not go towards funding the scheme.
QLDC capital works manager Ken Gousmett said development contributions could only be used for recreation reserves.
At present, the town relies on private septic systems and three communal wastewater treatment plants - at Benbrae, the Cardrona Hotel, and a site known as "Phoenix 47" at the southern end of the village on the eastern side of Cardrona Valley Rd.
Potential sites for a community wastewater dispersal scheme had been narrowed down to ones at Mt Cardrona Station, Phoenix 47 and on Tim and Cathy Scurr's land on the northeastern outskirts of the village.
Although the Mt Cardrona Station site already had a discharge consent issued by the Otago Regional Council, there was a "great deal of uncertainty" concerning the timing of development there, Mr Darby said.
Also, the cost would be higher because the site was further away from the village. The other two sites would be investigated further, although Phoenix 47 was the preferred option cost-wise, as it was in town and had an existing wastewater plant with potential for expansion.
Mrs Wallace explained the governance and voting options proposed for managing a wastewater scheme in Cardrona and how stakeholders would be apportioned votes by calculating potential dwelling numbers on the land they owned.
Based on that formula, Brooklynne Holdings had the "lion's share" of the vote at 54%. A 67% majority would be a mandate for the council to start contract negotiations with a developer, she said.
Brooklynne Holdings director Kathy Lynne was at the meeting and said the company would act as "caretaker" of votes for potential investors in her development.
"The vote is really just to be able to make the best decision for those future landowners," Ms Lynne said.
The QLDC will liaise with the Cardrona Residents and Ratepayers Society over coming weeks to get the community's response to the reports.
Mr Darby told the Otago Daily Times there had been "no formal discussion with any developers at this stage".
