Chance to learn more about CHB's water and waste

The Waipukurau wastewater treatment plant will be one of the stops on the three waters bus tour.

If you've ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes at Central Hawke's Bay's landfill, treatment plants or reservoirs, now's your chance to find out.

Central Hawke's Bay District Council is opening its landfill and three waters facilities including wastewater treatment plants and reservoirs to public tours this month.

The tours are part of the council's proposed Long Term Plan 2021-2031 (LTP) community consultation which aims to shed light on the state of the district's infrastructure and encourage residents to have their say on proposed plans.

Residents can book a visit to the Farm Road Landfill; a three waters bus tour which visits wastewater treatment plants and reservoirs; or both. The bus tours take place on Saturday, March 13, 20 and 27 and bookings are essential as spaces on the buses are limited.

Community engagement evenings are also being held in Kairakau, Ongaonga, Otane, Porangahau Takapau, Tikokino and Waipawa. The events give people the chance to meet with their local councillors, find out more about the challenges faced by the district, proposed solutions, and how to make a submission.

Mayor Alex Walker says, "These events and tours are a great way for our community to really get to the crux of what we're facing here as a district. We want to open the doors to our facilities and services so people can see, touch and understand what we're dealing with when it comes to our infrastructure and services.

"This Long Term Plan is about us facing the facts, so we can get on with addressing the challenges we face and continue building a thriving future for Central Hawke's Bay and our generations to come.

"Our reality is this: nearly a quarter of our drinking pipes and almost 40 per cent of our wastewater pipes are due for replacement; and all six of our wastewater treatment plants need upgrades. We have pipes that are over 100 years old, infrastructure that is literally crumbling away and buildings that we thought were earthquake tolerant, which are not. We now require major investment in nearly every aspect of our infrastructure and services. These are the facts and it's time to face them.

"We have some ideas about how we should face the challenges ahead, but we need to hear if our community agrees or if they have other ideas. I urge our community to attend one our tours or community engagement events, read our proposals, understand the issues we face and make an informed submission."

This LTP sets out a hard road for the district, as the council grapples with catching up on decades of underinvestment in essential infrastructure and assets.

Increases to rates, increases to the council's overall debt limits and increases to development contributions are all being proposed in a bid to face the district's challenges head on, and remedy a dire state of aged and failing infrastructure.

The plan also proposes to extend kerbside recycling to rural townships and gives residents the option of introducing a wheelie bin service for refuse and / or recycling.

Residents have until March 31 to submit their views on the council's proposed Long Term Plan (LTP) consultation document. A full list of community events, tours, information on the proposed Long Term Plan and submission form is available at www.chbdc.govt.nz/facingthefacts or from one of the council's service centres. When making a submission, residents can choose to present at a council hearing.

Site tours for the council facilities take place on Saturday, March 13, Saturday, March 20 and Saturday, March 27. Bookings are essential and can be done through the council's website or by phoning (06) 857 8060 or emailing facingthefacts@chbdc.govt.nz.

Community feedback will be used to develop the Long Term Plan 2021-2031.