Under clear blue winter skies, Waipā District Council yesterday celebrated the opening of the Cambridge Wastewater Treatment Plant - the district's largest-ever infrastructure project.
The event opened with karakia led by the Kaitiaki Group and ended with kowhai tree planting, honouring the relationship between the project, the land and the Waikato River. It brought together mana whenua from Ngāti Hauā, Ngāti Korokī Kahukura, Raukawa and Waikato-Tainui, Council elected members and staff, contractors and suppliers from the project build team, and Waikato Waters Ltd - who take over the plant’s operation from tomorrow.
The $108.5 million plant will serve Cambridge, Leamington, Hautapu and Karāpiro, and is designed to meet the needs of the fast-growing community while also providing the best possible outcomes for the Waikato River.
The Kaitiaki Group ensured the wellbeing of the awa was prioritised in the plant’s design, integrating Western science with mātauranga Māori [knowledge].
Waipā Mayor Mike Pettit said mana whenua have been central to the project from the beginning.
"There's a responsibility here to the awa, to this place, and to those who will come after us. This project is a great example of how we make our best decisions: by listening to each other, and working in partnership. It's a project we can be incredibly proud of and shows what can happen when we make decisions with the long term in mind.”
Chief executive Steph O'Sullivan said the partnerships built through the project were built to last. "This is Te Ture Whaimana - the Vision and Strategy for the Waikato River - in action, which calls us all to protect and restore the health of the awa for current and future generations.
"The plant was delivered on time and the project overall is on track to meet budget, a significant achievement in the recently challenging and inflationary environment and something Council is very pleased to report,” she said.
The cultural story behind the plant runs as deep as its engineering. Two mauri stones flank the rock outfall where treated water re-enters the awa. Further cultural art elements by multi-disciplinary artist Eugene Kara are planned to represent the project's enduring relationships, drawing on the Matariki star cluster and its connection to wellbeing, environment and the changing seasons.
Norm Hill, of the Kaitiaki Group, described the new plant as setting a new benchmark for wastewater infrastructure.
The consent for the new plant will be formally enacted today, June 30 - the final major milestone before operation transfers to Waikato Waters on Wednesday.
The new plant uses membrane bioreactor technology, treating wastewater to a standard among the best in New Zealand. Compared with the old pond-based system, it reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 90 per cent, and runs on solar power generated on site.
The final stages of the project, which is due to wrap up in December, include removing old equipment and continuing wetland restoration on the site. Nearly 40,000 native plants have been put in the ground over the past two years, with more planting to come over the next decade.
