A Chinese-owned South Canterbury-based dairy company wants to build a 7.5 kilometre-long pipeline to discharge up to 10 million litres per day of wastewater into the Pacific Ocean.
The application, filed with Environment Canterbury, proposes the pipeline will travel from the Oceania Dairy factory at Glenavy on State Highway 1, about 58km south of Timaru, to the Pacific Ocean coastline, with a 350m long submerged outfall.
If the pipeline goes ahead, the outfall would have three diffusers at the end of it, extending a further 50-150m to discharge the treated factory wastewater into the ocean into an area that is part of the proposed South East Marine Protected Area (SEMPA). The daily discharge limit is the equivalent of water from four Olympic-sized swimming pools.
Oceania Dairy, which is owned by the Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co Ltd (Yili), is seeking a 35-year consent for the discharge operations and the same length of time to "occupy the coastal marine area".
"Treated wastewater from the (factory) will be directed to a holding tank located within the downstream end of the factory site," it says.
"Once there is sufficient volume in the holding tank to create the necessary pressure for all three diffusers to operate, the treated wastewater will be discharged via the ocean outfall."
According to consultant documents, "in practical terms, Oceania Dairy has access to only 278ha of the approved 404ha (of land) to irrigate its wastewater".
"In light of the above, it has been challenging for Oceania Dairy to meet the conditions of resource consent for wastewater discharge in winter, spring and late autumn seasons," the documents say.
"In the spring and late autumn seasons, there is insufficient freshwater to properly flush the irrigation lines. Without thorough flushing, milk residues in the irrigation lines can stagnate, and create odour when sprayed on the fields."
In the consent application notice, it acknowledges that "the discharge may result in contaminants entering coastal waters", including "pathogenic micro-organisms, nutrients, suspended solids, diluted cleaning products and dissolved salts".
A study, commissioned for Oceania Dairy, also said the affected area – spanning the coast from Morven Beach Rd in the north to the Waitaki River mouth in the south – has, "in the main, very low levels of recreational use, with the exception of the Waitaki River mouth".
Forest and Bird (F&B) regional manager for Canterbury-Westland Nicky Snoyink said its key concern was how the application would be considered with regard to the proposed SEMPA which stretches from Timaru to Southland.
"The SEMPA identifies the area as habitat and feeding/foraging areas for species like Hoiho (yellow eyed penguin – threatened, nationally endangered), kororā (little penguin – at risk, declining) and Hectors Dolphin (nationally vulnerable)," Snoyink said.
"If (the consent) is allowed, F&B recommend that Environment Canterbury requires that the activity has strong and enforceable, monitoring and reporting conditions, that safeguard the marine environment and protect the native species that live there."
A spokesman for Oceania Dairy said "if the project does proceed, the work will be conducted in accordance with all local laws, and every possible step will be taken to protect the coastal marine environment."
Production at the Glenavy factory, which employs about 330 people, began in 2014.
In August, the company's supply and environment manager Shane Lodge told Stuff that it expects to employ an extra 80 staff as it goes through its expansion programme, which included developments to its canning, blending and UHT operations, and the new laboratory.
Submissions on the proposal close on December 13.
