Meetings are being organised about the rural districts to discuss how changes to septic tank rules are going to affect property owners.

Draft changes to the Bay of Plenty Regional Council's On-Site Effluent Treatment (OSET) Regional Plan are intended to better reflect what current knowledge about domestic wastewater discharge and its impact on water quality.

The draft plan change is open for public feedback and comment until Friday, August 31 with public meetings planned for the coming week.

Meetings will be held in the Te Puna, Tanners Point, Ongare Point, Bryans Beach and Rotoma/Rotoehu/Rotoiti, Rotorua communities.

There has already been a meeting at Matata.

'The draft plan change could affect residents in these particular communities, which don't yet have reticulated wastewater treatment systems,” says Strategy, Policy and Planning Committee Chair, Councillor Raewyn Bennett.

'Instead, they rely on on-site effluent treatment systems such as septic tanks and associated soakage fields, and aerated wastewater treatment systems.”

The main changes include maintenance zone, soak hole requirements, and compliance dates. New maintenance zones are proposed for Matata and Bryans Beach.

'The changes also clarify that nitrogen remediation/offset for properties over two hectares in the Rotorua lakes area will not be managed under this plan and will fall under the Regional Water and Land Plan,” says Raewyn.

The Regional Council prepared an initial draft plan change earlier this year. The second version follows earlier community and stakeholder consultation.

For information on the draft plan change or public meeting dates go to www.boprc.govt.nz or contact the Council on 0800 884 880.

Meetings:

Rotorua – 6.30pm, Monday 13 August; Mokoia Intermediate, Brent Road, Owhata, Rotorua

Te Puna – 6.30 pm, Wednesday 15 August; Te Puna Community Centre, Maramatanga Park, Tangitu Road, Te Puna

Tanners Point & Ongare Point – 6.30pm, Friday 17 August; Katikati War Memorial Hall Lounge, Main Road, Katikati

Bryans Beach – 6.30pm, Wednesday 22 August; Waiotahi Hall, SH 2, Opotiki.