South Wairarapa District Council met on Thursday 30 July where water was the topic of the day.
All of our Council and Committee meetings are livestreamed on YouTube and are open to the public. We know not everyone can tune in, so here’s a quick summary of some of the key matters discussed.
Consent to be lodged to seek approval to irrigate wastewater to land
Council endorsed the lodgement of a resource consent application and a Notice of Requirement under the Resource Management Act (RMA) to authorise the irrigation of treated wastewater from the Martinborough Wastewater Treatment Plant (MWWTP) to land located north of Pain Farm.
While the existing resource consent identifies Pain Farm as the location for future land-based irrigation, Council is no longer proposing to use that site. Instead, Council purchased an alternative 74-hectare property in 2025, located immediately north of Pain Farm, for this purpose.
The proposed site was selected following detailed technical investigations and engagement with stakeholders, iwi, neighbouring landowners, and the wider community. The site is considered well suited to treated wastewater irrigation and offers environmental and operational advantages, including its proximity to the treatment plant.
The preliminary design has been refined through an iterative assessment process, with modifications made to avoid, mitigate, or appropriately manage potential environmental effects. Supporting technical assessments accompany the application and demonstrate how the proposal has been developed to protect surrounding land, waterways, and neighbouring properties.
Lodgement of the application represents a significant milestone in progressing the MWWTP Stage 2 consent improvements and achieving the long-term objective of increasing land-based disposal of treated wastewater in preference to discharge to the Ruamāhanga River.
The application is expected to be lodged with Greater Wellington Regional Council in August 2026.
Find out more about this project on our website – Martinborough Wastewater Treatment Plant – Stage 2 Improvements
Adoption of Waitī Waters statement of expectations
Council adopted the Statement of Expectations for Waitī Waters, the new organisation that will be responsible for delivering drinking water, wastewater and stormwater services across the region from 1 July next year.
The Statement has been developed by the Stakeholders’ Forum, which represents the interests of the shareholding councils. The Statement sets out what councils expect Waitī Waters to deliver over the next 10 years and will guide the organisation’s long-term planning and help shape future decisions about water services, infrastructure investment, affordability and community outcomes.
Waitī Waters will be required to give effect to the Statement when developing its Water Services Strategy, which will outline how services will be managed and improved in the years ahead. The decisions made through that strategy will influence matters that communities care about, including the reliability of water services, infrastructure investment, environmental performance, and maintaining affordability over time.
The community will have an opportunity to provide feedback when Waitī Waters consults on its Water Services Strategy in 2027.
More information
See the agenda and decision papers (minutes will also be released here once finalised): Council – 30 July 2026
Watch the meeting recording on YouTube: Council Meeting – 30 July 2026