Candidate calls for investigation to secure Havelock North town water supply

Labour's Tukituki candidate Anna Lorck is calling for an investigation into securing a water supply for Havelock North.

An investigation into securing Havelock North's water supply is being called for as part of the $25.6 million Whakatu Arterial Link.

Diggers are rolling up to start work on link road, one of Hawke's Bay's largest roading projects, which will provide an easier corridor from Havelock North by connecting State Highway 2 with Pakowhai Rd.

The road, expected to be completed late next year, will streamline transport, while taking heavy trucks off the residential streets of Whakatu making them safer for families.

Route clearing and fencing work has been completed over the past few months, with main contractor Higgins about to start work.

As this work is being undertaken, Labour's Tukituki candidate Anna Lorck is calling for an investigation into securing Havelock North's town water supply.

Since the contamination of the suburb's water supply in August, it has been supplied with water from Hastings while the council work to bring one of the Brookvale Bores back online.

Ms Lorck said as residents had been told it would cost at least $6 million to $10m to secure a safe water supply for Havelock North, it was prudent that all options were looked at.

The council could take advantage of the project "which is already doing the ground work and make it an integral part of securing a new water supply for Havelock North".

Although securing water from Brookvale Bore 3, "might well be the best quick fix solution for now" Ms Lorck said investigating a new secure supply "may well turn out to be the best future-proofing solution".

"We might even save Hastings residents money in the long run."

The Government is contributing nearly $18m to the project with ratepayers funding the balance.

A council spokeswoman said staff were considering a number of options to address the long term Havelock North water supply, and the Whakatu project was one of many options being explored.

As the work being undertaken to address this was "vast", she was unable to provide any details on this, and said it was too early to present any specifics.

The Whakatu road is "considered a strategic link of the highest priority in the region".

The 3km route includes three large roundabouts, one at each end and one in the industrial area of Whakatu, and a bridge over the Karamu Stream, at the Pakowhai Rd end.

Work is under way on a temporary roundabout by Mangateretere School to help manage traffic during the five months it will take to build a new roundabout.

Work will then move across the country towards Pakowhai Rd, finishing at the entrance to the Pakowhai Country Park.

Council says it is committed to keeping traffic disruption to a minimum but suggests using alternative routes.