Akaroa reclaimed water treatment and reuse scheme : Christchurch City Council

In April 2026 the Council approved an amended variation of irrigation to land as the discharge option for the Akaroa wastewater scheme. This option has a capital cost of $150 million and includes:

28 hectares of planned irrigation areas in Robinsons Bay and Hammond Point
increasing irrigation rates in those areas
16,000m ³ of irrigation storage
moving the wastewater treatment plant to a site with lower geotechnical costs (opposite side of Old Coach Road)
a 1000 m² wetland that excess treated wastewater flows through before being discharged into Akaroa Harbour.

The amended irrigation to land option was identified by staff as the most cost-effective. The preferred option was chosen after weighing up safety, environmental and health impacts, costs, how easy it would be to consent and build, how well it would operate long term, and mana whenua values.

The irrigation to land option still requires some treated wastewater to be released into the harbour during wetter winter periods, when irrigation is not possible. The option is designed so this would only happen very occasionally — less than 1 per cent of the time.

The project budget in the Long Term Plan 2024-2034 is $98 million. The remainder of the project budget will be included in the next Long Term Plan.

Consents are already approved for the new pump station at the Children's Bay boat park and to upgrade the wastewater network of pipes and connections. The consent for the wastewater treatment plant on Old Coach Road will need to be amended to reflect recent design updates, which has seen it move from the hillside area to a flatter site on the opposite side of the road.

Resource consent applications are being prepared for the irrigation of treated wastewater to land at Hammond Point and Robinsons Bay. This includes a resource consent for the release of treated wastewater to Children’s Bay when we can’t irrigate to land during wetter winter months. The scheme is designed that this would only happen very occasionally – less than 1 per cent of the time.

Council is also compiling an application for untreated wastewater overflow discharge consents covering both Akaroa and Duvauchelle townships.

The current consent, for the operation of the wastewater treatment plant at Takapūneke and disposal of treated wastewater from that plant, will expire in 2031.

View the wastewater treatment plant resource consent.
View the pump station resource consent.
View the wastewater network upgrade resource consent.

Committee decides on Akaroa wastewater matters - July 2026

The Mayor and councillors considered a report on the Akaroa and Duvauchelle wastewater scheme at the Finance and Performance Committee Meeting on Wednesday 22 July.

Staff were seeking the committee's approval of three matters that needed to be resolved before an application can be lodged under the Fast-track Approvals Act.

Harbour route investigation

The scheme involves transferring wastewater from Duvauchelle to Akaroa for treatment, then transporting the treated wastewater to irrigation sites through a network of pipes. The Committee previously asked staff to investigate whether moving wastewater via a harbour route could reduce costs and avoid disruption associated with roadworks. Staff found this option would cost an estimated $23–$27 million more than the proposed land-based route and recommended the road route. The committee approved the road route.

Outfall pipe length

The Committee also requested that staff explore options for the length of the treated wastewater outfall pipe in Akaroa Harbour. Staff found the cost of extending the pipe is fairly constant until 1000 metres. After this point the cost per metre increases because the installation of the pipe would require a barge, instead of a digger. Staff recommended increasing the outfall pipe to 500 metres. The committee decided to apply for an outfall pipe length of 2.7 kilometres.

Written community comments on the application

Under the Fast-track Approvals Act, the panel must invite written comments on the application from adjacent landowners. As the project covers a large area, staff expect more than 200 people or organisations would be notified as part of this process and have the opportunity to provide feedback. The committee decided to ask the Minister to direct the Panel to invite written comments from the community.

The report is available as part of the Committee agenda here(external link) (page 19).

Council withdraws current consent applications for wastewater scheme - July 2026

Christchurch City Council has withdrawn the current resource consent applications for the Akaroa and Duvauchelle wastewater scheme.

This follows a decision by the Council's Finance and Performance Committee in May to use a faster approvals pathway by applying to the Minister for Infrastructure to have the project considered under the Fast-track Approvals Act.

Council staff are now preparing that application. As the fast-track process requires a different approvals pathway, the existing consent applications have been withdrawn and the current hearing process has come to an end.

We'd like to thank everyone who has taken part in the process so far, including community members who made submissions, hearing commissioners and other stakeholders.

Council approves fast track consent options for Akaroa wastewater - May 2026

Councillors today agreed to fast-tracking resource consent applications for the Duvauchelle and Akaroa wastewater scheme.

At today's Finance and Performance Committee meeting the majority of the elected Council approved for staff to apply to the Minister for Infrastructure to have the applications considered under the Fast-track Approvals Act.

Last month the Council approved an amended irrigation-to-land discharge option for the Akaroa and Duvauchelle wastewater scheme. They also requested staff to report back with options for accelerating the consent process and reducing project costs.

The Council has previously lodged resource applications for the scheme, but they have been on hold since May last year. As a result of last month’s decision, the Council will now need to prepare amended applications for discharges and land use. It is likely to take about seven months to prepare those amended applications.

Read the staff report (item 16 in the agenda) (external link)

Council to consider fast track consenting options for Akaroa wastewater - May 2026

Councillors will next week consider a report describing options for fast-tracking resource consents for the Duvauchelle and Akaroa wastewater scheme.

Staff will present a report to the Finance and Performance Committee meeting recommending that, if the Council wants a faster process, the Council should apply to the Minister for Infrastructure to have the applications considered under the Fast-track Approvals Act.

Last month the Council approved an amended irrigation-to-land discharge option for the Akaroa and Duvauchelle wastewater scheme. They also requested staff to report back with options for accelerating the consent process and reducing project costs.

The Council has previously lodged resource applications for the scheme, but they have been on hold since May last year. As a result of last month’s decision, the Council will now need to prepare amended applications for discharges and land use. It is likely to take about seven months to prepare those amended applications.

Read the staff report (item 16 in the agenda) (external link)

Akaroa and Duvauchelle wastewater scheme consents - May 2026

On 22 April, the elected Council agreed to an amended approach that discharges treated wastewater to land for the Akaroa and Duvauchelle scheme.

The amendments aim to help reduce the projected capital cost of the previously agreed 2020 scheme from around $175 million to $150 million.

Staff were asked to report back to the Council in July 2026 with more detailed savings estimates associated with the approved option, along with options for accelerating the consenting process.

Those investigations may lead to further changes to the approved option. This could require changes to existing consents or applications, as well as new applications. For example, changing the route of pipes to go through the harbour instead of along roads could require new consent applications.

Because the work is technically complex, further progress on the applications, including any new applications, is not expected until February 2027.

Keep an eye on Environment Canterbury's webpage(external link) for the reporting memo to the commissioners.

Council approves decision on Akaroa and Duvauchelle wastewater scheme - April 2026

Councillors today approved an amended irrigation-to-land discharge option for the Akaroa and Duvauchelle wastewater scheme.

The amendments aim to help reduce the projected capital cost of the previously agreed 2020 scheme from around $175 million to $150 million.

Key changes include:

Reducing the planned irrigation areas in Robinsons Bay and Hammond Point to approximately 28 hectares
Increasing irrigation rates in those areas
16,000m ³ of irrigation storage, a reduction from 24,000m ³
Moving the wastewater treatment plant to a site with lower geotechnical costs
A smaller 1000 m² wetland for excess treated wastewater to flow through before being discharged into Akaroa Harbour
Removing irrigation from the Duvauchelle Recreation Reserve

Council presented cost-saving options for the Akaroa wastewater scheme - April 2026

Councillors were today (Wednesday 15 April) presented with options to help reduce the cost of the Akaroa wastewater treatment scheme.

The irrigation-to-land option previously agreed by Council in 2020 is now forecast to cost about $175 million. The project budget in the Long Term Plan 2024-2034 is $98 million.

The feasible cost-reduction options presented to Council today for the Council’s consideration are:

Four land irrigation options: Involving higher irrigation rates, a reduced irrigation area, reduced storage, and relocating the wastewater treatment plant to the other side of Old Coach Road. Irrigation would remain in the same locations as currently proposed at Hammond Point and Robinsons Bay

Land irrigation options	Robinsons Bay irrigation storage	Treatment plant location	Estimated capital cost
Option 1	16,000m³	Moves across the road	$150 million
Option 2	4,000 m³	Moves across the road	$136 million
Option 3	16,000 m³	Stays at current location	$160 million
Option 4	4,000 m³	Stays at current location	$146 million

Harbour outfall (Option 5): A 2.7km pipeline with treated wastewater discharged to the mid‑harbour area.
Estimated capital cost: $127 million

Resource consent updates - April 2026

Resource consent applications for the Duvauchelle wastewater scheme, Akaroa treated wastewater discharges, and raw wastewater discharges are now completed ready to be lodged.

Staff are currently preparing advice for the Council on options to reduce the costs of the current applications, which may include changes to what is proposed. These options are expected to be considered at a public Council meeting on Wednesday 22 April.

Council intends to provide another update to commissioners after the April Council meeting.

Council briefed on ocean outfall alternative for Akaroa wastewater scheme - July 2025

We may reconsult and reconsider ocean outfall as a potential alternative to land irrigation for its future Akaroa and Duvauchelle wastewater treatment scheme.

Staff have updated the mayor and councillors on the latest technical and financial information about a $148.7million ocean outfall option. This option had been raised by some community members as an alternative to land irrigation which is estimated to cost $167.3 million.

The ocean outfall option would see a 15-16km wastewater pipeline running on the Akaroa Harbour floor, extending one to two kilometres beyond the harbour heads. Wastewater would be discharged at this point.

The staff update showed operational costs of the ocean outfall would be approximately $380,000 per year, compared to $625,000 per year for land irrigation. Operational and construction risks were outlined, including challenges in identifying leaks and the limited options available for repairs. Staff also repeated their understanding that this option is repugnant to mana whenua.

You can read more on Newsline(external link).

Commissioners confirm hearing deferral - May 2025

The Hearing Panel Commissioners have deferred the hearing to enable the Council to prepare its resource consent applications for the discharge of treated and raw wastewater into the harbour.

The commissioners have directed the Council to provide monthly progress reports on the applications.

Read the commissioners' minute(external link).

Council to proceed with resource consents for Akaroa wastewater treatment scheme - May 2025

We're proceeding with our current resource consent application to establish and operate an Akaroa wastewater treatment scheme that irrigates to land.

The Council has informed the Hearing Panel Commissioners that it intends to continue with its application and to also lodge additional consent applications for the discharge of treated and raw wastewater into the harbour. The Council currently intends to request the consent authorities to publicly notify those applications. However, this may change if there are any material amendments to the relevant government legislation before that time.

The Council understands that the Commissioners will now decide whether to pause the Hearing until the Council lodges those additional discharge consent applications.

The Hearing was adjourned in February 2025, and Commissioners indicated it could not resume until at least May 2025 due to the availability of the Hearing Panel. However, they also indicated that the Hearing would likely be further adjourned until the Council lodges its resource consent application for releases of treated and raw wastewater into Akaroa Harbour. These are being prepared, together with an application for Duvauchelle wastewater, and the Council expects to lodge them in September and December 2025. If the Commissioners place the Hearing on hold until they are lodged, those applications will be assessed alongside the Council’s current irrigation to land consent application. The Council currently intends to discharge into the harbour when irrigation and storage facility capacity is exceeded.

At that time in February, the Council requested that the Hearing be paused to allow time to address a large number of questions that had been raised by the Commissioners and directed to the Council, Environment Canterbury, and Ōnuku Rūnanga for responses. The Council also sought time to reconsider alternative treated wastewater disposal methods raised by submitters. The Council has answered its questions, and they have been supplied to the Commissioners. These are publicly available under the Hearings tab on Environment Canterbury's webpage. (external link)

You can read more on Newsline(external link).

Council to investigate the impact of law changes on wastewater alternatives - March 2025

We're set to explore the impact of wastewater standards being finalised this year on alternative methods for the disposal of treated wastewater as part of Akaroa’s future wastewater scheme.

The Hearing for the Council’s resource consent application to establish and operate an irrigation to land wastewater treatment scheme was put on hold last month at the Council’s request after Commissioners asked the Council(external link), Environment Canterbury and Ōnuku Runanga a large number of questions about the scheme. The scheme proposes using treated wastewater to irrigate Council-owned land at Robinsons Bay and Hammond Point.

The Council requested the Hearing was paused to allow time to address these questions and to re-investigate alternative treated wastewater disposal methods raised by submitters.

The Commissioners informed the Council that the Hearing could not resume until May due to the availability of the Hearing Panel. They also said that they are likely to adjourn the hearing until the Council lodges its discharge resource consent application for releases of treated wastewater into Akaroa Harbour, to be assessed alongside its irrigation to land consent application. The Council currently intends to discharge into the harbour when irrigation and storage facility capacity are exceeded.

The Council responded to Commissioners(external link) advising that it doesn’t oppose pausing the Hearing until the discharge consent application for treated wastewater release to harbour is lodged.

The Council also indicated that it intends to again review the alternatives to the current application that have been proposed by submitters. The Council prefers to do that review in the context of new wastewater standards and changes to the Resource Management Act that the government intends to enact this year.

It is important for staff to understand the impact the upcoming law changes will have when considering the proposed and alternative methods to dispose of treated wastewater. Read more on Newsline(external link).

Robinsons Bay and Hammond Point planting - March 2025

We are preparing the land for additional native plantings in the area the Council is applying for Resource Consent to irrigate. The planting will help increase biodiversity in the area and will consist of around 130,000 Kanuka and 33,000 other native species. We have grown these plants from seedlings, and they have matured to the stage where planting is essential for their continued growth.

Resource consent is not required for the tree planting and the cooler months are the best time of the year to get plants in the ground.

Our contractors will start work this month at Robinsons Bay, followed by Hammond Point in June.

Robinsons Bay planting

A key part of the new wastewater system is our plan to use recycled water to irrigate new plantings of native trees.

In September we finished planting the lower parts of the Robinsons Bay irrigation block in kānuka.

To do this we needed to carry out much-needed maintenance to an existing farm track to allow vehicle access to the site. We also upgraded the fencing around the site. None of this work required consent as it falls under a category of work called ‘permitted activity’.

Over just a few weeks, we got around 56,000 plants in the ground. The seedlings were grown from seeds collected locally.

Kānuka grows well on Banks Peninsula and was chosen because it is a hardy colonising species that provides shelter for other species to germinate and grow.

In the winter of 2025, we aim to plant about 150,000 more kānuka and another 50,000 locally sourced seedlings of other native species.

We’ve also been working on pest control in the planting areas at Robinsons Bay and Hammond Point – to date, over both sites, we’ve caught 30 possums. We’re also targeting a range of weed species to optimise growing conditions for the native trees.

Part of the boat park is closed

A corner of the Childrens Bay boat park in Akaroa has closed from June 2024 for the first stage of work for the new pump station.

This stage involves geotechnical investigations needed for the design stage. We already have consent to build the new pump station, which is essential to a new wastewater scheme.

Pump station construction is expected to be underway by the end of 2025. Read more on Newsline(external link).

Geotechnical work

We've contracted Stantec to complete ground investigations needed for the detailed design of the new wastewater scheme.

This work will continue through to late December 2024 and involves digging test pits and bore holes at the pump station site and along the proposed pipe route.

These investigations are critical in ensuring the design engineers fully understand the land the project will be built on.

None of this work needs resource consent as it is a permitted activity.

Newsletters

Newsline stories

We've been working on the Akaroa and Duvauchelle wastewater network to reduce the amount of stormwater entering the system. This work increases the wastewater network’s capacity and helps reduce the risk of overflows into private properties, streams and the harbour during wet weather.

Through addressing leaks and other issues, in both the council network and on private properties, will we be able to significantly reduce the volume of unwanted water entering the network.

Improving this problem was a high priority for many submitters during our consultation in 2020.

	Investigated 12.3km and replaced or repaired 1.6km (9%) of Akaroa’s wastewater network pipes. Repaired 23 manholes.
	Completed $6 million of improvements and repairs to the wastewater network.
	Inspected 1367 private property stormwater and wastewater systems, of which 30 per cent required improvements. When issues are discovered our team lets the property owner know what needs to be fixed.
	Installed a flowmeter at the water plant in Akaroa. This real-time information reduced the daily wastewater flows from approximately 80 - 100m³/day to 30 – 40 m³/day.

Our work on this project began in 2014. This section gives some background to the project.

2021 Community reference group

The Community Reference Group established for this project has completed its work. Members did a great job, raising issues of concern to the community and suggesting how these could be mitigated or overcome.

The group was made up of five community representatives, two rūnanga representatives and two community board members, with support from two members of the project team and an independent facilitator.

They gave us a wide range of advice and suggestions on the scheme, and ideas for how we could improve certain aspects. They were particularly enthusiastic about the move to use storage tanks instead of storage ponds. These tanks could be covered and sited further up Robinsons Bay valley away from the immediate neighbours.

The group said tanks would be more acceptable to the community as they mitigate risks associated with storage ponds, such as dam break, odour, insects and visual effects. It would also prevent rainwater from adding to the amount of treated wastewater to be irrigated.

The Community Reference Group has documented the work it did, the advice given to us and the reasons behind that advice [PDF, 226 KB].

2020 Consultation

We undertook five weeks of community consultation outlining four viable options in August 2020, before the hearings panel recommended, and the Council accepted, the Inner Bays Irrigation Scheme (Option 1).

2015 Resource Consent

We were granted consent to build a new wastewater treatment plant on Old Coach Road, a new pump station at the Childrens Bay boat park and to upgrade the wastewater network of pipes and connections.

However, our applications for consent to construct a new pipe outfall to Akaroa Harbour, and discharge treated wastewater via that pipe outfall, were declined. The hearing commissioners said a harbour discharge was offensive to Ngāi Tahu and that we had not adequately investigated alternatives.

We appealed this decision, but in 2019 we decided to drop the appeal.

Decision: Read the Hearings Commissioners' decision(external link).
Newsline: Akaroa wastewater appeal to be withdrawn(external link).