Moa Point. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
The government has confirmed there will be an independent review looking into the Moa Point treatment plant failure.
On 4 February, the plant failed, sending millions of litres of raw sewage into the Cook Strait per day.
Last week, Wellington Mayor Andrew Little met with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Local Government Minister Simon Watts to discuss the treatment plant's failure.
Following the meeting, Little said the three agreed an independent inquiry was needed.
Watts said the failure of the capital's wastewater infrastructure, and the impact it has had on communities, the economy and the environment were "completely unacceptable" and an "independent and transparent" inquiry was required to determine the causes.
"The public is owed the assurance that we understand what led to this failure and that we are taking steps to prevent it from happening again."
The Crown review team, made up of independent senior water services sector figures with "relevant technical engineering, governance, commercial and legal expertise" will be appointed to both Wellington City Council and Wellington Water.
Mayor Andrew Little. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii
"The review team will be tasked with delivering clear, actionable recommendations which set out concrete next steps, including specific actions for Wellington City Council where necessary," Watts said.
Because management of water services will move from Wellington Water to the new council-controlled organisation Tiaki Wai Ltd, Watts said timely findings and recommendations were needed.
Little said he welcomed the decision to appoint a Crown Review Team.
"It is essential Wellingtonians have a genuinely independent review about the failure of the Moa Point sewerage plant," he said.
"My hope is that the mister can assemble the Crown Review team, confirm the Terms of Reference, and get the review underway as quickly as possible."
Little said the benefit of a Crown Review Team under the Local Government Act, as opposed to a government Inquiry under the Inquiries Act was it could happen "reasonably quickly".
He said he understood why some were calling for a more public inquiry, but was not sure what could be gained from more public input, as the inquiry was about understanding design, what happened, and what needed to happen to fix it, which called for more technical expertise.
"My view is this is really a fact-finding exercise, of what is the fault, what is the technical failure that led to the failure of the plant, and then looking at what does the remedy look like, how do we fix it up to prevent it from happening again, and to some extent what is the default position when a sewerage plant fails? Is it acceptable that we just disgorge everything into the environment in the way that we're doing at the moment?"
A Wellington Water spokesperson said the organisation "fully supports" an inquiry.
"We will cooperate fully alongside our work to bring the plant back into operation," the spokesperson said.
On Sunday, Wellington Water chair Nick Leggett resigned, saying stepping aside would allow Wellington Water to focus on fixing the problems and restoring public trust.
'A serious failure of infrastructure and governance' - iwi
Meanwhile, Wellington iwi Taranaki Whānui ki te Upoko o te Ika has expressed profound disappointment at the ongoing discharge of untreated wastewater at Moa Point.
In a statement, the iwi said as tāngata whenua they hold an enduring responsibility to protect the whenua, wai, and moana of Te Upoko o te Ika (the Wellington region).
"This discharge is unacceptable and reflects a serious failure of infrastructure and governance. This situation requires accountability and a strengthened system," the statement read.
"This is not a new issue. Taranaki Whānui has raised longstanding concerns about wastewater infrastructure at Moa Point and Seaview. The current discharge highlights the fragility of this system and its direct impact on our moana, marine life, and communities.
"For mana whenua, these waters are taonga with their own mouri, sustaining cultural practice, identity, and food sources. Infrastructure that allows wastewater to enter our coastal environment is fundamentally inconsistent with tikanga Māori and kaitiakitanga."
The iwi said the public deserves clear and timely information and they expect transparency regarding the cause of this failure, the repair timeline, and the environmental impacts.
"Recent leadership changes at Wellington Water reflect the seriousness of this situation and reinforce the need for strengthened governance. Historic infrastructure decisions made without kaitiakitanga at their core have directly contributed to the environmental and cultural harm we are now witnessing.
"Taranaki Whānui is actively engaged in governance and the transition to the future water entity, Tiaki Wai, and will continue to exercise its responsibilities as mana whenua at all levels to protect and restore the long-term health and mouri of our moana."
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