Ben Winters: Aroma NZ Director on the Christchurch City Council's plan to discharge partially treated sewage into the ocean

Mussel farmers are warning that plans to discharge partially treated sewage into the ocean to deal with Christchurch's Bromley stink, could wipe out aqua culture.

The City Council's planning to dump 30% of partially treated wastewater into the ocean to ease pressure on the poorly operating treatment plant.  

Two thousand tonnes of green lipped mussels come from eight Aroma New Zealand farms in Banks Peninsula annually.  

Company director Ben Winters told Mike Hosking chlorine and sewage don't need to go to sea.  

He warns if plans go ahead, it could be a national disaster. 

LISTEN ABOVE   

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The city council. This is in christ has come up

(00:02):
with the idea of releasing partially treated sewage into the ocean.
This is all the result of this Bromley wastewater mess.
Of course, the concern is over aquaculture, the potential and
neurovirus outbreaks. Ben Winters, as director of a Roman New
Zealand and Aquaculture New Zealand Member and as with has
been good morning to you.

Speaker 2 (00:17):
Good morning Mike.

Speaker 1 (00:18):
This is animal This is animals v people though, isn't it.
I mean, if you're in Bromley and you put up
with a stench for months on end, you're sick of it,
you probably go with the sewage in the water, wouldn't you.

Speaker 2 (00:29):
My first things thanks having me on the show. I
would be putting my hand up being a local resident.
I mean obviously we're in the Bombley area as well. Yeah, look,
I can feel for the disgrunted residents. As I say,
we've got our factory, we're employing sixty five locally. We
do put up for that stench as well. Unfortunately Bromley
has been tagged with that odor for some time. But

(00:50):
does you know by pumping sewage raw sewage is it
going to be treated into Pegas's day is that the
answer is that just going to cause another major issue.
And of course with greenland muscles on our doorstep, in
our backyard, which would potentially become very contaminated.

Speaker 1 (01:06):
Does it depend in any way, shape or form how
they do it treated, partially treated, how much, et cetera,
or not.

Speaker 2 (01:13):
To be honest, we don't want to see any sewage
in any form, filtered, chlorine, you name it. It does
not need to go into pieces Bay. This could be
a national disaster. Aquaculture is a big part of our
firmary industry and to see just to turn the taps
on would be economic disaster.

Speaker 1 (01:29):
And when we say aquaculture, so when you say green
lit muscles, this is farmed muscles. This is not just
the natural habitat per se.

Speaker 2 (01:37):
No, Mike. We've got eight farms in the surrounding Banks Peninsula,
ranging from Port Levy right through to Mens's Bay Squally Base.
So we've got eight farms in the area. So approximately
one year we can harvest up to two thousand and
ten of live muscles. Aquaculture, but also it spills into
the fishing industry as well. I mean Littleton is littered
with fishing boats going out daily. So look at that toffted.

(02:00):
Then we've got it's going to split into the fishing
industry as well.

Speaker 1 (02:03):
What about the business of Look they did it at
mower Point. I mean, I know, not deliberately, but nevertheless,
is there a difference between Pegasus and the cook Straight
in terms of how the nature would deal with it?

Speaker 2 (02:16):
Obviously, cooks straight to a large area where we're in
a very congested area. I mean, Peggas's Bay is right
on our doorstep. We're only a few kilometers away. They're
coming up all these scientific ferries where the current's going
to go. But we're in christ Church, we get the
predominant easterly one, so of course we're right in the
firing line of the Pegass Bay outlet.

Speaker 1 (02:38):
Where does this go? I mean, is this going to happen?
Or are we still in the throes of scrapping about it?

Speaker 2 (02:43):
Yeah, good question, Mike. Look, we only just heard about
it like late last week. Is it going to happen?
This is the big question mark. We've invited Phil to
come and see us personally. We'd love to take them
through our new factory. We've just invested in. We've got
obviously our new muscle boat. We'd love to fail to
come out and taste the fresh screen lit muscles, which
we do with our clients on a regular basis. So look,

(03:05):
it's all here say at the moment, but obviously this
is our main bread and butter. We got pretty stirred up.
So I got pretty active on the on the media
channels over the weekend and I do appreciate the time,
and I worie this will never happen.

Speaker 1 (03:16):
I wish you well. We'll stay in touch. Ben Winters
and Films A good guy filming the Mayor Christie's film Major.
Of course, I've Ben Winter's out of his director of
a Roman news even

Speaker 2 (03:25):
For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to
news Talks I'd be from six am weekdays, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio