Media Release

Developers will need to install on site-sewage treatment and disposal systems at the time of subdivision, as the Far North District Council moves to counter environmental problems caused by malfunctioning plants.

Council surveys show more than 10 per cent of existing systems are failing, either because they are malfunctioning, badly maintained, or they are not meeting increasingly high treatment standards, with serious effects on water quality throughout the District,

Contributing problems include

• inappropriate designs that create soakage problems because they do not suit the high clay content of many soils around the district
• inappropriate placement of soakage fields leading to effluent run-off, soil instability and in some cases health issues
• buildings that have been placed on the only suitable area for an effluent disposal field
• unacceptably low budgets for what can be expensive installations

Recent consultation has shown that Kerikeri is the worst affected area although many residents throughout the Far North are concerned about slowly decreasing stream, river and marine water quality due to effluent run-off in their environment.

Far North Mayor Wayne Brown says the council will insist on enforcing existing District Plan rules that require installation, loading and testing of on-site sewage treatment and soakage systems in order to prove their adequacy before a certificate of completion Section 224 (c) can be issued.

He says the move puts the responsibility for safe sewage treatment on the subdividers at the time of subdivision, rather than leaving cost shocks for the house builder and compliance problems for the council later on.

“I am very pleased to see us making progress on this important issue,” he said.
“This council welcomes development, but only if it doesn’t harm the environment.

“In isolated cases where the on-site treatment and disposal requirement cannot be met, the council will turn down the subdivision application until a local community system is available.”

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Page created/updated: 13 March, 2008

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