Aquaculture New Zealand (AQNZ) and the New Zealand Oyster Industry Association (NZOIA) have concluded discussions with Watercare regarding a recent wastewater overflow affecting Mahurangi oyster farmers. The agreement provides NZ$1 million in financial relief to the affected farmers.
Watercare confirmed that a power surge on October 28 tripped pumps at the Warkworth treatment plant, causing approximately 1,200 cubic metres of wastewater to spill into the Mahurangi river. Due to a failure in Watercare’s alert system, the overflow went undetected for nearly 24 hours, delaying the response.
The spill occurred during the final peak of the oyster harvest season. Consequently, the contamination event triggered a mandatory 28-day harvest ban.
Tee Hale Pennington, Chief Executive of Aquaculture New Zealand, stated, “This incident has struck at the heart of our oyster farming community. Our farmers have endured immense stress and uncertainty through no fault of their own.”
While the agreement provides immediate relief, work is ongoing to quantify the full extent of losses, including long-term reputational impacts. AQNZ stated it will continue to advocate for the farmers' total losses to be financially settled by Watercare by the end of the year.
