Independent review reveals sobering saga
Published on 10 September 2016
10 September 2016
Independent review reveals sobering saga
The independent review into the failed wastewater treatment plant has revealed a sobering saga of shortcomings and mistakes that have cost the Whanganui community $27 million, generated much anger and anxiety among residents and inflicted considerable damage to the district’s reputation, Whanganui District Council Chief Executive Kym Fell said today.
“The independent review report finds that Council’s decision-making process in 2003 and 2004 allowed a hybrid plant design to be constructed – a plant which was untried and untested anywhere in the world, and created entirely by Council staff and their consultants,” Mr Fell said.
“Particularly troubling are the findings that the Council was misinformed by staff, principally at critical decision-making meetings in February and November 2004, which led to incorrect decisions being made, and that known risks were downplayed by staff.
“The report also finds that an independent peer review was shut down prematurely by staff, and that cost cutting was clearly a key driver resulting in a crude, low-technology, low-cost plant that ultimately failed.
“It is appalling that the wastewater plant never fulfilled its resource consent in five years of operation from 2007 to 2012.
“While the report finds shortcomings in the actions of staff, it also highlights the need for good governance and for councillors to ask questions and require peer reviews to be presented to the Council.
“The review deliberately focused on the need to understand the circumstances and Council processes which led to the failure of the current plant – from concept evaluation in 2003 to the final total failure in 2012 – to ensure there is proper transparency and accountability for what has occurred and that appropriate lessons may be learned.
“There are lessons to be learned in both Council management and governance and the report contains recommendations which reflect this need.
“It is encouraging that the Council processes under which the proposed new wastewater treatment plant has been developed are significantly more robust and have been audited and peer reviewed to ensure the new scheme is affordable, sustainable and reliable. For example, with the current scheme the Council had full access to the peer review advice and AECOM also appeared before Council. This is a stark contrast to 2004.
“Now that the facts are on the table and out in the open, we can move forward with building the new plant ready for commissioning in December 2018 and begin to put this whole saga behind us.”
The full report of the Independent Review by Robert Domm of the facts pertaining to Whanganui District Council’s decision-making processes from 2003 to 2012 leading to the failure of its wastewater treatment plant is available at:
www.whanganui.govt.nz/WWTP-Inquiry (PDF, 9.5MB)