Client:  Masterton District Council

Date:  December 2005

Author(s):  Dr Nicola Chandler; Dr Ganesh Nana; Kel Sanderson

The objective of this research project is to provide an assessment of the economic and affordability issues around options for the Masterton community to upgrade the treatment and disposal of wastewater. The option chosen must satisfy the Masterton District Council’s performance criteria for sewerage treatment and disposal of wastewater.

The Council had narrowed its choice of project to three shortlisted schemes. We have looked at the main features of each scheme and compared them in terms of relative costs and benefits. We also investigated the affordability for the Masterton community, as well as options regarding charging schedules between parts of the community and over time.

There are some areas in which the more expensive schemes perform significantly better in the assessment. However, the escalation of costs to achieve these benefits is substantial and would raise serious affordability issues for the Masterton community. BERL’s assessment supports the Masterton District Council’s view that the extra benefits arising from the more costly new ponds and hybrid schemes do not outweigh the extra costs they imply. As the options were presented to us, this report agrees with the Council’s preferred scheme, which is based around upgrading the existing ponds. It is also the lowest cost of the three schemes shortlisted.

BERL#4419