IAWAI is set to deliver the $200 million planned Southern Wastewater Treatment Plant that will help address Hamilton’s wastewater capacity constraints and serve Hamilton, Waikato and Waipā residents for generations to come.
Formed under the Government’s Local Water Done Well framework, IAWAI was created to manage Hamilton City Council and Waikato District Council’s water services and lead large, intergenerational projects that secure future growth.
IAWAI’s Chief Executive Peter Winder said the scale of the Southern Plant shows exactly what IAWAI was designed for.
“IAWAI will deliver this much-needed investment for the region, but it’s the work of the councils and mana whenua over the last five years that has got us to this point.
"This project has had years of planning, analysis and investment to make sure it's the best option for our community. Any infrastructure project of this scale naturally raises questions for people and businesses in the local area, and we are working hard to discuss and address the issues they raise.
“At the same time, we have to do the job we have been given, which is to deliver smarter, boundaryless infrastructure that works for people, for place, and for the Waikato River.”
The project has involved a dedicated Kaitiaki Roopuu to ensure mana whenua and iwi are represented at all levels of project decision making, including the selection of the preferred site and environmental outcomes.
IAWAI Head of Strategy and Delivery Andrew Parsons is calling it a “new era” for water management in the Waikato.
“This project will set a benchmark for performance and environmental care,” Parsons said.
"The Plant will deliver modern treatment standards and will be designed to minimise odour, safeguard the environment, and create the capacity and resilience our communities need as the region grows.”
Hamilton and its surrounding areas have experienced significant population growth in recent years, placing increasing pressure on the city’s only wastewater treatment facility in Pukete. The new plant will help meet future demand and support development in the Hamilton Airport industrial precinct, southern suburbs including Peacocke, and, over time, the communities of Tamahere, Matangi, Tauwhare Paa, and nearby areas.
A preferred site has been identified between Peacockes and Raynes Roads, chosen for its proximity to future growth areas with a large buffer zone creating the potential to explore restoration and amenity opportunities, suitable topography with no known archaeological sites or significant natural areas, and access to utilities.
Today an alternative site for the plant was presented to the Board. The Board will review that proposal as it works toward making formal decisions in relation to the development of the plant.
Hamilton City Council allocated $7 million in its 2024–34 Long-Term Plan for investigations, consenting and land designation. Construction is expected within the next decade.
