Extra $5m for city's water woes

Tauranga City Council today approved a ratepayer funded levy which will provide an additional $5 million toward addressing flooding issues.

The stormwater levy will complement the existing $5.5 million that is already allocated in the 2014/15 Annual Plan for stormwater improvement works in the Mount Industrial area.

The new stormwater levy will be spent in the 2014/15 year on:

- $1.2 million for stormwater modelling and other work to better understand stormwater issues across the city;
- $400,000 towards the Mount Industrial Improvement project that is already underway, and;
- $3.4 million towards stormwater improvement projects at some of the city's flooding 'hotspots'.

The majority of the $3.4 million is expected to be invested within the Matua peninsula. It will enable preparatory work, including potential land purchases where needed, to move stormwater improvements forward in the two most flood-prone areas of Matua that have been identified from the modelling project and supported by complaints following flood events.

Remaining funds will help with ongoing minor stormwater improvement work like catchpit upgrades across the city.

Following today's council meeting, confidential negotiations have started on potential property purchases where land is needed for the proposed stormwater projects.

The stormwater levy adds 4.7 per cent to the rates requirement and is a response to flooding issues across the city.