South Wairarapa District Council is preparing to restart consenting processes in Martinborough after a pause of more than two years caused by capacity issues at the local wastewater treatment plant.

Mayor Fran Wilde describes this as “a great Christmas present for builders, tradies and potential homeowners in South Wairarapa.”

Council has confirmed that from early 2026, section owners in the Martinborough urban area will be able to apply for building consents in two stages. The first stage will allow construction to begin, with onsite drainage capped within the property until the plant has capacity for new connections. A second stage consent will then enable connection to the wastewater system once capacity becomes available, currently estimated for early 2027.

Property owners seeking to subdivide will also be able to apply for resource consents under similar conditions, with connections deferred until the system is reinstated.

Applications will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, starting with single dwellings, with the time frame conditional on planned upgrade work for the treatment plant being completed on schedule.

Consents approved prior to the pause remain valid, meaning some projects could move forward sooner.

“It would be great for the economy of Martinborough and our district if consent holders were able to start their construction activity ahead of full wastewater capacity,” said Mayor Wilde.

While no timeframe has been set for Greytown, enabling connections there remains a priority, and further updates will be provided when available.