Whangārei District Council wants to retain full control of Whau Valley Dam, above, the city's main water supply that will be taken if the Three Waters reform go ahead as planned. Photo / NZME
Whangārei District Council wants to retain full control of Whau Valley Dam, above, the city's main water supply that will be taken if the Three Waters reform go ahead as planned. Photo / NZME
Whangārei mayor Vince Cocurullo says residents in Northland's largest population centre would best be served by their own standalone Three Waters operation in any new regional water organisation for Te Tai Tokerau.
Cocurullo said Whangārei was in a strong position when it came to Three Waters, but that position potentially changed if the district became part of a Te Tai Tokerau regional water organisation that also included Northland's two other local territorial authorities – Far North District Council (FNDC) and Kaipara District Council (KDC).
Regional water organisations (RWO)s, which would be unable to be sold outside local authority ownership are part of Auckland mayor Wayne Brown's push for a new look at the vexed Three Waters issue nationally. Brown was FNDC mayor from 2007 to 2013.
These are in direct contrast to the Government's plans for four inter-regional water services entities acquiring long term-ratepayer-funded council Three Waters assets - in the top of New Zealand combining those from FNDC, KDC, Whangārei District Council (WDC) and Auckland Council's assets into the giant inter-regional water services body, Entity A.
Brown and Christchurch mayor Phil Mauger – who between them head New Zealand's two largest cities - along with Waimakariri mayor Dan Gordon were at Auckland Council this week saying a new look at New Zealand's divisive Three Waters was needed.
"The Three Waters debate has become divisive and lost sight of the key ambitions for better water in New Zealand," Brown said.
He said at Monday's Auckland Council media standup that nobody had been able to give him an explanation of what Northlanders would gain from having Aucklanders running their assets.
A spokesman for Brown yesterday said that explanation was also lacking around what Aucklanders would gain from being forced by the Government to take over Northland's water assets.
Cocurullo said Northland councils worked well together. WDC had long worked closely with and supported KDC and FNDC Three Waters' work through providing engineering help and water to both during drought. But that was different from WDC permanently financially supporting these two councils in a joint RWO of all three.
Northland's mayors were however in support of Brown's call for a new look at Three Waters.
New Whangārei Mayor Vince Cocurullo says the district would best be served with its own standalone council Three Waters operation rather than joining with the Far North and Kaipara.
Cocurullo and Kaipara mayor Craig Jepson both campaigned strongly against Three Waters, resoundingly winning their October 8 local elections.
"I firmly believe that our district's Three Waters assets belong to all of our residents and our council will continue to protect these assets for the future of our people," Cocurullo said.
Jepson said he was strongly in favour of the Auckland, Christchurch and Waimakariri mayors' call, saying criticising Three Waters was easy, but the challenge was finding an answer.
"We now have a definite plan that does not result in losing control of our infrastructure," Jepson said.
The Auckland, Christchurch and Waimakariri mayors' call was based on proposals from the Communities for Local Democracy anti-Three Waters breakaway group of 30-plus councils nationally.
Brown said improvement funding was needed - in particular for less well-off councils - via a government water infrastructure fund to be set up via its Crown Infrastructure Partners (CIP) agency that funds local government and private sector infrastructure spending.
Jepson said access to this government funding was essential for KDC.
"It appears to me that Whangārei has a very good handle on (Three Waters) infrastructure, while we have aging infrastructure and breaking pipes," Jepson said.
KDC still had a debt hangover that needed paying off from Mangawhai's Ecocare wastewater scheme, which in 2013 resulted in a $60 million budget blowout leading to ratepayer revolt, the involvement of the Auditor-General, KDC in financial strife and four years of government-appointed commissioners at the council helm.
Jepson said the Mangawhai community's warning at the time to the Government about the debt had initially been ignored, meaning the community unnecessarily ended up with a gold-plated system now already reaching capacity. The Government had therefore contributed to the situation and was as a result duty-bound to financially support the council's Three Waters.
He said WDC had excess Bream Bay drinking water available via a supply pipe that came as far south as Langs Beach. This was just 11km north of Mangawhai and could provide much-needed water to the settlement. Getting it from WDC's boundary to Mangawhai needed to be paid for. Mangawhai is New Zealand's fastest-growing coastal settlement with the Environment Court recently saying no further development could proceed without corresponding up-front infrastructure also happening.
Jepson said Dargaville's at-capacity wastewater treatment plant also needed financial investment.
FNDC Kahika (mayor) Moko Tepania said he welcomed new ideas and approaches on Three Waters reform.
"I have several concerns with the current model and look forward to forming a consensus among our newly elected council on any alternate proposals to ensure that ultimately the significant needs of the communities of the Far North are met," Tepania said.
