It’s all about the power of partnership. Cambridge’s new wastewater treatment plant has yet to open, but it’s already winning awards.
The partnership Waipā District Council formed with iwi during the successful co-design of the plant, ensuring decisions were shared and the Waikato River’s wellbeing was prioritised, was the key to the project being singled out at last night’s 2024 ACE awards.
The Kaitiaki Group, established by the council, won the Special Award in recognition of its commitment to collaborate, embracing indigenous knowledge and honouring the principles of kaitiakitanga [guardianship] and Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Group Manager Service Delivery Dawn Inglis said the award was a huge tribute to the group for the collective mahi that went into making the project worthy of winning an award for phenomenal outcomes.
The Kaitiaki Group is made up of Ngāti Koroki Kahukura, Ngāti Hauā, Waikato-Tainui, Community Liaison Group, Waipā District Council, Waikato Regional Council, and consultants GHD.
The council established the group as the Cambridge Wastewater Treatment Plant Project sought a 35-year term for discharging treated wastewater into the Waikato River.
The award judges said the partnership was crucial to achieving this. Western science was integrated with mātauranga Māori [knowledge] for environmental assessments, upholding the best-for-river outcomes under Te Ture Whaimana o Te Awa o Waikato [the vision and strategy for the Waikato River].
The outcome was a 35-year resource consent granted in September 2023 without the need for a formal council hearing, saving significant money for Waipā and enabling the project to get underway swiftly.
Consultants GHD also won a Silver Award for their work on the consenting and engagement process for the project.
The ACE Awards celebrate Aotearoa New Zealand’s best consultants in engineering and professional services.
ACE Chief Executive Helen Davidson said the awards tell a compelling story about serving communities and delivering a better future for people and the planet.
"We have an exceptional pool of talented people in New Zealand who manage complex projects and deliver world-class solutions that keep our country moving and our communities thriving. These awards showcase what is possible and celebrate the people at the heart of creating a better future for Aotearoa.”
The $100 million-plus plant is one of Waipā District Council’s biggest ever projects, and will receive, treat and discharge wastewater from Cambridge, Leamington, Hautapu and Karāpiro Domain, using some of the most advanced technology available. It will have capacity to cope with the District’s fast-growing population and will meet much higher environmental standards than the existing plant, which has operated since the 1970s.
The plant is expected to be up and running by 2026.
Image: L to R – Shaun Hamilton (GHD), Waipā District Council’s Robin Walker, Martin Mould and Dawn Inglis, and judge and convener of judges Rebecca Jackson
