More than 300 people attended a public meeting about the Moa Point wastewater treatment plant disaster. Photo: RNZ / Lauren Crimp
Tempers flared at a packed public meeting on Monday night about the meltdown at Wellington's Moa Point sewage treatment plant.
Officials fronted the crowd of more than 300, but many left disappointed by a lack of clear answers about the disaster that has been sending sewage onto Wellington's south coast for nearly two weeks.
The event, organised by Rongotai MP Julie-Anne Genter and Wellington Central MP Tamatha Paul, was billed as an opportunity to ask questions and speak directly with experts.
Wellington Water chief operating officer Charles Barker - standing in for his boss, whose flight was cancelled - said up front there was only so much he could say with a Crown review imminent, and insurance processes underway.
"So if at times I appear guarded, or I'm taking a bit longer to think, that's because I'm probably getting close to that point where I have to be careful not to jeapordise any future inquiry, and especially everyone's insurance," he said.
That came into play when the big question was asked: what happened?
"Again, I just have to be careful talking about causality," he said.
All Barker could say was that divers had inspected 300 metres of the 1.8 kilometre pipe that sends wastewater into the Cook Srtait, and it appeared to be intact - but something was stopping "optimal flow".
Mayor Andrew Little also could not say who would pay for the fallout or fix.
"There's a whole bunch of insurance claims being made by all sorts of parties.
"I suspect insurance companies don't want to do anything until they have a fair idea about what the possible cause is."
Wellington Mayor Andrew Little. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii
The question and answer session was heated at times, peppered with yelling and interruptions.
"What are you going to do to improve that so we don't face this damn catastrophe again?" cried one man.
Acting Wellington Water chair Bill Bayfield replied: "That will be the subject of the review."
Former Taranaki Whānui trustee Benjamin Wynyard-Terry said he did not trust officials' assurances, and wanted more transparency.
"Pull your heads together, and put your tent up on the beach where this has occurred, and ... have a two-day wānanga, and you come up with a real solution so this will never happen again."
Some had solutions of their own, which included composting or incinerating toilets for every ratepayer "for less than we paid for the sludge plant".
Te Papa fish expert, Andrew Stewart, had good news for those with environmental fears. He said the weather, and the Cook Strait, massively diluted the sewage.
Had it happened in Wellington Harbour, it would have been an "unmitigated disaster", Stewart said.
"It is ghastly what's happened, but I don't believe it's going to have a long-term damaging effect."
The crowd was pleased officials and experts had fronted, but frustrated that they left with only a little more clarity than they walked in with.
"Because of the investigation that is taking place, it feels like a really welcome safety blanket to not be able to provide any further information," one woman said.
"I got the reassurance in terms of the ecological stuff ... that was answered clearly," said another.
"There was no apology whatsoever and it felt as if they were sort of trying to almost avoid any sort of blame," one man said.
Wellington Water planned to hold more public meetings.
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