RLC October 22 Sewerage Update

LRCA recently submitted Sewerage scheme questions to Council and received a very prompt response

Q: Please provide brief summary of install progress in 2022, recognising challenge of Covid and rainfall. In particular, predicted total installs by end of year.

A: We are interacting with 68 properties to obtain Building consents, 85 Building consents are approved and awaiting installations with another 123 units installed as of 20 October 2022.  We are aiming to complete a further 50 – 60 sites before Xmas (including the Tamatea St toilet blocks)

Q: Please provide Install plan for 2023

A: Continue with the state highway properties (Gisborne Point), Commence the non-residential sites (eg: schools over the school holidays) and the remaining Tamatea Street from February onwards.

Q: Current prediction on completion date of installation.

A: Contractually May 2023, however due to Whenua Maori property delays thru the Maori land court the project might extend to July/ August 2023

Q: Best indication available on per property cost estimate

A: The rate for the scheme has not been finalised yet, thereby we do not have an accurate estimate as to what the overall cost per property is at this time. This will be discussed by Council when the project nears its completion and a decision will be made on the final level of repayment rate.

Q: Please update on progress with Whenua Māori land issue and expected resolution.

A: Discussions continue regarding individual blocks, with owners and trustees of those blocks, effected by the scheme.  Responses so far have been largely positive. Certain technical issues were recently heard by the Maori Land Court and advice is yet to be issued.

Q: We receive feedback from some owners with whom agreement has been reached but don’t know where they sit in the queue.

A: As mentioned we have 85 properties scheduled for installations and as such cannot guaranteed fixed dates for those installations until we are confident of the date (1 month before). Keeping in mind delays due to weather has a significant ripple effect throughout schedules.

Q: There is also the matter of property owners who Council have not connected with yet. We are happy to encourage them to make contact with council or Fulton Hogan if you let me know who you want them to contact.

A: Landowners can make arrangements for site visits to discuss the installation and location of Biolytix systems by emailing our new project team member Leo Morley from WSP at Leo.Awata‐Morley@wsp.com. Alternatively, the Engineers Representative can be contacted at gerhardus.mostert@rotorualc.nz, 027 214 1820

Q. We hear a lot of positive feedback on the installs and standard of reinstatement around the tanks, We also receive a few comments about punga fences and drives not being reinstated. Winter won’t have helped in some cases, but perhaps going back after leaving site might sometimes be missed?

A: To date we are completely caught up on reinstatement delays. We struggled with grass seeding, as it did not take due to the weather conditions. As such, we opted to leave some sites raw or to implement gravel as an interim solution.