Delmore housing development with plan to truck wastewater away gets fast-track approval
A large-scale housing development in North Auckland has received fast-track approval despite opposition from local council and water authorities. The project will rely on trucking wastewater off-site during peak periods until a permanent infrastructure solution is secured.
Why it matters
This decision highlights the tension between urgent housing development needs and the capacity of existing public infrastructure to support rapid urban growth.
Fast-track approval has been granted for the development of more than 1200 homes in North Auckland, where treated wastewater will be trucked off-site when needed.
The 61-hectare Delmore development has been proposed for farmland in Ōrewa. As well as the residential development, it includes a commercial area, and an interchange with State Highway 1.
The proposed water and wastewater systems for the development have attracted criticism .
Both Auckland Council and Watercare opposed the development. Their submissions to the independent expert panel considering the fast-track application said that it was out of sequence with council growth and infrastructure plans.
Minister of Infrastructure Chris Bishop said the panel had granted approvals for the development, subject to comprehensive conditions.
Bishop said the panel had decided the consent conditions will appropriately manage the off-site effects of the proposed wastewater system.
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