Effluent discharge refusal upheld

Press, 4 December 1978, Page 7

Effluent discharge refusal upheld

The North Canterbury i Catchment Board has: t upheld the decision of a spe-> cial tribunal not to allow a 1 ,' Halswell dairyfarmer, Mr J. |1 [Ryan, to discharge dairy ! 'shed effluent into the Hen- i idersons Road drain, thence i ■ to the Cashmere Stream and i i the Heathcote River. I Objections to the appli- i i cation were made by the I "Christchurch Drainage Board 1 and the North Canterbury ■Acclimatisation Society. > In rejecting the appli-i' ication to discharge 10 cu m.' of dairy shed effluent daily I j into the drain, the board noted that the applicants ' ' had failed to observe the obligations and rights granted 1 to the two brothers (Messrs J. and B. Ryan) in 1976. ; The board supported the tribunal’s decision that “rhe applicants’ existing facilities for the treatment of the wastes from the dairy shed '|yards are inadequate to produce an effluent capable of being assimilated by the I waters of Hendersons Road drain without detrimentally ' affecting the clarity and . quality of those waters.” The Drainage Board hadi 7 objected on the ground that sanitary sewer facilities , were available to the property which is bounded by Halswell, Hendersons and Sparks Roads but no effort had been made to connect these facilities. The society objected on the ground that the effluent

would be injurious to fish in the Heathcote River. The board also upheld a water committee decision ithat the Canterbury Frozen Meat Company, Ltd, be not allowed to discharge wastes into “classified waters” because it appeared questionable that tne board had the power to issue temporary permits as it had done in ■the past. It was emphasised that this did not mean that applications for such disposal ■would be disallowed in fut|ure, but that they would have to be dealt with under la different section of the Water and Soil Conservation. ;Act No. 2 Amendment, 1971. i An application for water 'rights to Oakdale Holdings, Ltd, P. H. and K. W. Montgomery, T. G. Searle, Oakleigh 'Southbridge, Ltd. and F. J. Gilbert, Southbridge, to take 60,000 cu m of water from the Rakaia River to the west and north of Fereday Island for irrigation purposes was approved with several conditions including the provision of fish screens and the installation of •water-measurement devices. J For the second time the board rejected an application from Akaroa Butchery Ltd •to discharge waste washwater from its abattoir into : Takamatua Bay. The com- . pany had previously said it ! would appeal to the Planinning Tribunal but was reported to have withdrawn : its appeal.

It was decided that such a discharge would increase the i risk of bacteriological coni lamination of the bay and i would be “incompatible to : the recreational uses of ■ those waters.” Water rights were granted to the Paparua County Council for five of six new wells for public water sup- . ply and also to the Christchurch City Council for two : new water-supply wells in New Brighton. The board upheld its re- ■ \ serves committee recoml mendation that the Canter- ' bury Steam Preservation : Society be allowed to improve its leased ground at McLeans Island by the con- ■ struction of an exhibition , building extension of trac- . tion engine and locomotive . sheds and extension of the I bush tramway and associated facilities. It also agreed to a request i,from the Canterbury Rowing -Association and the Cure •Boating Club, Kaiapoi, to i meet to discuss a $500,000 5 project involving the • straightening of the Kaiapoi f River for a rowing course, Ihe meeting will be held on e December 7. i, 1