Minister keeping eye on consent application
And Otago Fish & Game Council chief executive Ian Hadland says the council is confident authorities will handle the situation to safeguard the catchment's outstanding values, including water quality, fisheries and amenity values such as swimming.
The Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) began using emergency powers to discharge treated wastewater into the river — in order to bypass failing disposal fields at its Shotover Wastewater Treatment Plant — on March 31.
Ms Simmonds said she was "aware of concerns" raised about the QLDC decision.
"I understand that this is an interim approach while QLDC completes necessary upgrades to its wastewater treatment system," she said.
"The need for upgrades to the system was acknowledged by QLDC in its evidence and considered by the panel in its recommendations on Te Pūtahi Ladies Mile Variation."
Because the Otago Regional Council granted the QLDC request for its retrospective consent applications for the emergency discharge to be referred directly to the Environment Court she did not have further comment at present.
"However, I am keeping a watching brief on the situation."
Mr Hadland said the resource consent application was for a "temporary solution" for the Shotover wastewater treatment plant's issues.
"We are pleased to see that they are referring it straight to the Environment Court and allowing the public to have a say, because there is high interest in this matter.
"We will review the application at that point and consider a submission on behalf of our angling and hunting licence holders."
The Kawarau River and its tributaries, which include the Shotover, were protected by a Water Conservation Order put in place in 1997 to safeguard the catchment's outstanding values, including water quality, fisheries and amenity values such as contact recreation, he said.
"We remain confident authorities will handle this situation to ensure the provisions of the Water Conservation Order are upheld."
Mr Hadland said Otago Fish & Game supported enforcement action taken by the regional council for QLDC consent breaches.
"We recognise this is a complex legacy issue and the potential remedies are costly.
"We're hoping the QLDC moves quickly on to finding a more permanent solution."
Otago Fish & Game was at the forefront of litigation which secured the Water Conservation Order to protect the Kawarau River and its tributaries, he said.— APL
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