The $19m Recreation Ground Wastewater Pump Station and Rising Main upgrade has been successfully completed.

The new infrastructure significantly improves the long term resilience of Queenstown’s Wastewater network by providing 550m3 of emergency storage, additional pumping capacity and 2km of new wastewater pipe, all of which reduces demand on the Marine Parade Pump Station located close to Lake Whakatipu.

The new pump station conveys wastewater from north of the town centre from areas such as Arthurs Point and parts of Queenstown Hill and will also pump flows from Sunshine Bay and Fernhill in the future.

Queenstown Lakes District Council General Manager Property and Infrastructure Peter Hansby was thrilled to see the upgrade complete, which is part of a significant district-wide investment in three waters infrastructure.

“This is an incredibly important part of futureproofing our local wastewater network and ensuring it meets the needs of the growing Whakatipu community. The increased capacity and emergency storage will take the pressure of the existing facility at Marine Parade and reduce the likelihood of unintentional spills into the lake, particularly in a significant rain event,” he said.

The project saw its fair share of disruption along the way.

“The construction team faced COVID-19 lockdowns and an unexpected change in approach following the discovery of 6,000-year-old prehistoric timber under the ground, putting a stop to our plan to complete trenchless construction,” Mr Hansby said.

“The change in approach stretched out our construction programme but I’m incredibly proud of the way the team pulled together, worked closely with those affected by the works and got the job done as quickly as possible,” he said.

QLDC Councillor and Infrastructure Committee Chairperson Quentin Smith was pleased to see the project complete and a bit of relief from the disruption in town.

“I know it’s hard for most of us to get excited about a wastewater upgrade because you can’t physically see the improvements. But it’s important for us to share and celebrate these milestones as we significantly improve the resilience of the network and put environmental protection front and centre,”

“I’d like to say a huge thank you to the residents along Park Street, the Wakatipu Rugby Club and town centre businesses for their ongoing patience and support while the work was happening – I know it was challenging at times,” he said.

“I’m really pleased to have the carpark reopen and available for those visiting the town centre and the new planting and seating at the recreation ground is looking sharp ahead of the Highlanders vs Moana Pasifika pre-season game set for 11 February,” he said.

© Scoop Media