Legal battle won't be pretty path

Wanganui District Council is about to embark on a legal battle on behalf of its ratepayers.

It will sue Montgomery Watson and Harza over the failed wastewater treatment plant and we wish it "Godspeed".

It will not be an easy task to secure compensation for the design of the plant despite the apparent spectacular failure of that design. Nor will MWH, a multi-national company with 8000 staff worldwide and almost 200 years of history behind it, be an easy opponent.

The road to successful litigation is littered with potholes and not always paved with gold at the end. This will be a costly, drawn-out affair before judgment is passed. In short, following legal advice from Kensington Swan, the council is taking a calculated gamble.

You spend $1 million to try and recoup $10 million.

In a world increasingly full of "experts", one should always be wary of "expert advice".

Is that advice primarily for your benefit or for the benefit of those dispensing it?

If the council believes its cause is justified, it is right to take this action. It has started the charge and MWH will be busy circling the wagons.

Wanganui badly needs some financial solace for the troubles that have beset our wastewater plant and we must hope its legal team can press home their case.