August 11 2020
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Crucial water decision for council u by Paul Campbell
Whether to go along with government plans for a super-sized water control authority for Northland, based on Auckland, is to be decided by Kaipara District Council at its meeting on August 26, just five days before a deadline to receive a $2.35 'opt-in' payment.
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The government is investing $76 million to upgrade water services across the country as a result of the fatal Havelock North campylobacter outbreak in 2016. The three waters, drinking water, stormwater and wastewater, review aims to cut New Zealand's 67 water providers to just half a dozen or fewer. The proposal in Northland would join Kaipara District Council, Far North District Council and Whangarei District Council with Auckland Council. However, Northland's councils are against the proposal although Wellington has offered $28.26 million, subject to them opting into negotiations. The government money announced last week would give the FNDC $5.90 million, WDC $5.89 million and KDC $2.35 million. There's also $14.13 million for the councils to work together to amalgamate drinking water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure and provision in the region. They have until September 30 to decide among themselves where that money would be allocated. Kaipara Mayor Jason Smith chairs the Northland Mayors Forum and says preference was instead for a regional Tai Tokerau approach. He added that suggested options to the water review also included an entity adding Waikato and Bay of Plenty to the northern blend, therefore amalgamating at least a dozen councils' water sector responsibilities. "Under these super-regional entities water management will not be locally run," Dr Smith said. "Local people won't have any way of having their voice heard." Northland was particularly at risk because it was distant from much of the more centralised decision-making that would result. "Local voices will just disappear as localism is diminished. Northland will be off the table for discussion. People live locally; they don't live regionally. If we turn around and do a super-regional level water management body, places like Mitimiti and Pouto will disappear. There will be a general blanket approach that doesn't have local sensitivity, understanding, identity and values.” Dr Smith said Northlanders would face paying bigger costs and greater regulation from the changes.
p Mayor Jason Smith — ‘water plan will increase costs’
The new review says many water treatment plant consents were due to expire and a major spend would be needed to bring them up to consent to operate. The country's ageing wastewater, stormwater and drinking water were coming up for replacement at a huge cost, that was too great for some councils to bear. ¢
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