2. Miss McAllister asked the Minister for Infrastructure for her assessment of the pollution entering Belfast lough as a result of recurrent flooding of the NI Water sewer at the Shore Road and Mill Road. (AQO 3673/22-27)

The recurrent flooding on the Shore Road near Mill Road is caused by a combined sewer overflow on the NI Water sewerage network. That overflow should discharge directly to the nearby watercourse that flows into Belfast lough but is instead surcharging directly on to the Shore Road. That is due to deficiencies in the existing sewerage network. Officials from my Department and NI Water have been working together to develop a joint solution to that complex issue, and NI Water hopes to be in a position to have the works completed by October this year.

More widely, the water quality issues in Belfast lough can be solved only through sustained, significant long-term investment in the waste water infrastructure that services the entire city, and those needs are set out in the Living with Water in Belfast plan. As part of my three-pronged approach to waste water issues, I will continue to work with the Executive to try to secure the appropriate investment that we need to ensure that NI Water can unlock capacity as well as improving the environmental performance of its assets, such as the one impacting on the Shore Road.

In parallel, as the Member will be aware, my Department is progressing developer contributions to waste water infrastructure upgrades on a phased basis, beginning with a voluntary scheme, which I announced earlier this year. That is complemented by the progression of my Water, Sustainable Drainage and Flood Management Bill to make provision for future regulation on sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) and natural drainage options. I have also been successful in securing £15 million of transformation funding to progress a pilot project in the Whitehouse area to retrofit SuDS interventions, such as swales and rain gardens, into the urban environment. Those nature-based features help to store and reduce the flow of rainwater entering the sewerage network during periods of heavy rainfall, and therefore reduce the volume of water that is spilled from combined sewer overflows. While that alleviates pressures, I accept that it does not solve all our problems. I hope that that gives you a clear outline of the work that we are doing in an accumulative way to really help to deal with the issues, particularly in the challenging financial situation.

I thank the Minister for her answer. The £15 million investment in that area is much welcomed. The Alliance Party has met NI Water, the Department for Infrastructure and the council a number of times over the past few years on the issue. It is great to hear that it will be completed on time by October. Do any other steps need to be taken to ensure that that pollution is stopped permanently so that we do not have another Lough Neagh situation in the heart of Belfast lough?

The requirements when it comes to the investment that is needed to deliver the Living with Water plan for Belfast are well rehearsed at this stage. It is important to recognise that the challenges that we face are the result of a significant increase in costs — 50% over two years — from the original figure of £1·2 billion to £1·6 billion. That is a significant jump from what we were expecting originally. That having been said, we have looked at how NI Water can deliver those projects with the funding that is available, working through that at a pace that is more achievable. That is not easy, and I think that that is well recognised. That is why it is so important that, when we are around the Executive table, all Ministers have a good understanding of what the consequences of not investing in NI Water will be for delivering the upgrades that are needed. Not only does that impact on capacity when it comes to development, but, as the Member has set out in her example, it has an environmental impact, particularly on Belfast lough.

In my previous answer, I set out the steps that I am taking to move us closer to making progress. I continue to work with NI Water to find solutions, because that is what I am focused on: solutions. It is not about sitting on my hands but about ensuring that we find ways in which we can make progress, albeit with the challenges that we all face financially.

An important part of your three-pronged approach is natural drainage, which keeps rainwater out of the waste water system, freeing up capacity for vital housing. Can you provide an update on the urban drainage transformation project?

As I have mentioned, the Department has secured £15 million from the transformation fund for that four-year period from 2025-26 to 2028-29. The allocation of £370,000 during 2025-26 has already been fully spent, and £4·625 million has been allocated for this financial year. That funding will be used to support the nature-based solutions pilot project over the next four years. The overall target for the project is to provide approximately 10,000 cubic metres of temporary storm water storage by retrofitting those nature-based SuDS interventions into urban areas to reduce the pressure on our constrained drainage and waste water infrastructure, which will help to reduce flood risk and spills from sewers.

Work during the first year of the pilot project has focused on identifying suitable locations. There has been extensive engagement with stakeholders, including Belfast City Council, Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council and the Housing Executive. That has included completing ground investigation surveys at 11 locations in the Whitehouse and Fortwilliam areas to assess their viability for potential SuDS projects.

Two other potential locations have been identified at Drumglass Park, Lisburn Road, and Castle Place in the city centre; that is actually three. Work has also commenced to deliver a natural flood management scheme in partnership with the National Trust at its property at Lisnabreeny and Cregagh Glen and to help to slow the flow of water in the Glenbrook river during periods of heavy rainfall.

Previous reports confirm that Northern Ireland Water dumps approximately seven million tons of raw sewage into Northern Ireland waterways each year, with three million tons of that in the Belfast metropolitan area. Farmers are made the scapegoats while Northern Ireland Water continues to pollute our waterways without fear of sanction. What discussions have taken place between you and the Agriculture Minister to bring an end to the statement of regulatory principles and intent (SoRPI) agreement?

As the Member will be aware, the Minister has outlined his suggestions on SoRPI, and we continue to engage with him on that.

It is important to recognise that the removal of SoRPI will have significant consequences if it is not done in a planned and managed way. It was established to recognise the waste water infrastructure challenges that we face. However, I continue to work with the Minister to find a solution that helps us move forward on that, because we all have a responsibility when it comes to environmental protection. I am keen to address the issues that you outlined about NI Water at the earliest possible stage. That will require investment, but I am keen to continue working with the AERA Minister and all Executive colleagues on that to ensure that we can find a solution at the earliest possible stage.

It is the view of many people that developer contributions should be compulsory. If they are voluntary, they will be as much use as a chocolate teapot. Will the Minister indicate whether she is looking at implementing a system of increased fines for organisations that are polluting the lough, including any work with the AERA Minister to tackle those businesses, especially if they are agribusinesses, that are polluting the lough? Is there any work being done on increasing fines for those businesses?

The Member may not be aware of this, but enforcement is the responsibility of the AERA Minister; it is not my responsibility. AERA has the remit for water quality. However, as I said in my response to the Member who asked the previous question, I am committed to continuing to work with the AERA Minister because I respect the responsibilities that he has for the remit of his Department, the impact that that has on the remit of my Department and, importantly, the way in which we need to work together to serve everybody we represent to ensure that we are meeting our responsibilities on the environment and on the capacity of our waste water infrastructure. The two issues are interlinked. Our key objective is to find a solution that benefits everybody. No group or sector should be pitted against another. We can all play a small part, and we are keen to do that by working together through all of those issues.