Auckland Council Healthy Waters stormwater network discharge consent
Liz June 19th, 2019
On 16 April 2019 Auckland Council commissioners granted Auckland Council Healthy Waters a network discharge consent for the diversion and discharge consent for all of the existing and future stormwater discharge from the public stormwater network. Here is the decision.
While we appreciated the public notification and we supported the goal of aligning the range of HW stormwater consents into one framework, STEPS had submitted jointly with Oakley Creek opposing several aspects of this consent. We consider that “all future stormwater discharge” is far too broad given the problematic situation now. Further we see no standards for what can be discharged.
Following our submissions, we were later shocked at the lack of consultation with residents and groups such as STEPS. Special follow up sessions were held by Healthy Waters consent team with various corporate groups who had concerns, but none with other submitters such as Forest and Bird, SASOC (Stop Auckland Sewage Overflows Coalition) or STEPS. On 31 May STEPS and Friends of Oakley Creek jointly became section 274 participants to the appeals of both Forest and Bird and SASOC, to try to achieve some more balance and involvement of ratepayers in the discharge consent process. For us this is about clean water, as stormwater is the major driver of pollution in Meola Creek.
