End of 2020!

Local Board Update December 2020

As 2020 draws to a close many will be drawing a sigh of relief, it’s been a difficult year and no doubt everyone is looking forward to a ‘vanilla’ 2021!

For Auckland Council the budget challenges continue with predictions of further shortfalls in income to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars. Council relies of 60% of its income from non-rates sources and Councillors are going to be grappling with some very tough decisions next year following public consultation on the Annual Budget and refresh of the 10 Year Plan.

Over the last week there has been discussion about ‘rural representation’ for Rodney and a suggestion from our Councillor and the North Action Group (NAG) that boundaries should be changed for the Rodney Local Board subdivisions to enable better representation of rural issues.

This comes at an odd time, not only is Council battling unprecedented budget issues due to COVID19 but a Auckland wide review of boundaries was completed last year and none of the suggested changes were raised then.

Currently only one Local Board member lives in an urban area (Warkworth), with the rest of us living in rural areas. I live in Muriwai, which could be described as a rural township but we have no water or sewerage services, Vicki Kenny lives in Wharepapa on a gravel road, Danielle Hancock lives in Kaukapakapa, again on a gravel road, and Brent Bailey lives in Waimauku on a large rural property.

The Local Board has always been a strong advocate of rural issues such as maintenance and sealing of gravel roads because not only do we understand these issues firsthand, but we’re engaged with the community we represent. Having just signed off the fourth Local Board Plan since 2010 it clearly contains strong advocacy for our huge rural area.

There is always a balance to be struck between our rapidly growing urban towns and the needs of rural communities and we continue to debate and cooperate on these as a Board to ensure facilities and assets we manage on your behalf are fairly distributed and funded.

The main objections from NAG are around issues like road sealing which unfortunately the Local Board has no direct control over as Councillors (the Governing Body of Auckland) are the ones who decide how much money is allocated to this. Our Councillor lives in a fully urban area on the North Shore but no one would suggest he hasn’t been a vocal advocate for rural issues. That suggests it is not about electoral boundaries or where people live, but whether they are engaged with the communities they represent.

The Rodney Local Board has achieved much over the last 10 years and continues to be a voice for the grassroots in our community. We are proud to be part of a team of nine that enables your voices to be heard, and the team that represents this area have worked hard to ensure we are focusing on core business and delivering for the district. We’re all looking forward to continuing this work in 2021.

We hope everyone has a relaxing and safe Christmas.

Phelan Pirrie. Chair, Rodney Local Board. 021844124.  phelan.pirrie@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

Danielle Hancock. Rodney Local Board Member. 0211959826. danielle.hancock@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

Brent Bailey. Rodney Local Board Member. 021730892. brent.bailey@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

Vicki Kenny. Rodney Local Board Member. 0276709968. vicki.kenny@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

Riparian Funding & Huapai Indoor Courts

Local Board Update – November 2020

Healthy Harbours & Waterway Funding Available.

The gradual ecological degradation of our rivers and harbours has been an issue of concern for many in the community. Silt and nutrient runoff from a range of sources has seen bellwether events like the scallop fishery closure in the Kaipara. If measures are not taken to drastically change our impact on our waterways and harbours, we can expect more of these events.

The Rodney Local Board has heard the community concerns and in 2017 launched a Healthy Harbours Fund. Our approach was to work constructively with farmers and landowners to encourage riparian planting and fencing. In conjunction with industry bodies such as Fonterra and iwi we have dollar-matched landowner’s efforts to fence and replant river margins to limit nutrient and silt runoff with hundreds of kilometres of fencing and thousands of trees in the ground.

This year the government announced a $100m fund to address water quality in the Kaipara. As one of the Auckland Council representatives on the Kaipara Moana Remediation Governance Partnership group I’m looking forward to being involved in ensuring this significant investment starts to make a tangible difference. The estimated costs of sorting out the Kaipara long term is estimated to be over $500m but this is an excellent first start, and it is heartening to see that our efforts locally will now be replicated on a larger scale for the whole harbour.

This fund has allowed the Local Board to open the fund to a wider range of applicants from outside the Kaipara catchment. There is no shortage of waterways in the area that are nutrient and silt-laden. Some rivers are in a poor state but are being used for swimming so assisting landowners upstream to improve them has an excellent environment and public health outcome.

If you’re interested in applying for a Rodney Local Board’s Healthy Harbours Fund grant you have until the 30^th November to do this, you can find out more by googling ‘Rodney Local Board Healthy Harbours’ or visiting: https://tinyurl.com/y65aodyl

Huapai Indoor Courts Facility Update.

Work on the Indoor Courts facility for Huapai to meet the needs of a growing community has been disrupted by Covid19 and the ‘emergency budget’. The Local Board resolved to put our own funding towards continuing with the detailed business case to ensure this project progresses to the design and build stage as quickly as possible. A steering group of key sports group stakeholders and council staff has been formed to work on the business case with the aim of having this completed before April. We will be looking for a good show of public support for this project in the upcoming Long Term Plan consultation in February 2021.

Do you need assistance with Council issues?

You have four Local Board representatives available to assist you with questions or issues relating to Auckland Council. If you want to get in touch we are available to talk or meet with you.

Brent Bailey: 021 730 892 – brent.bailey@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

Danielle Hancock: 021 195 9826 – danielle.hancock@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

Phelan Pirrie: 021 837 167 – phelan.pirrie@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

Vicki Kenny: 027 670 9968 – vicki.kenny@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

Town Centre Maintenance – Helensville

Local Board Update October 2020

This week Local Board members had a walk-through Helensville town centre with staff to look at the maintenance of footpaths, gardens and the riverside walkway.

The maintenance of town centre streetscapes has been handed over from Auckland Transport to Auckland Council’s Community Facilities Department which gives us better oversight of how this work is carried out. Because of the amount of improvements to be done to raise the appearance of town centres we have allocated more money to replanting, furniture & bin repairs and renewal.

There is a lot of work to do. We’ve clearly heard from many of you that the appearance of town centres is important, particularly to help with the recovery of businesses related to Covid-19. It’s obvious there has been a slow decline the the general appearance of many of our towns but hopefully this new focus and budget commitment should see things improve over the next few years.

There are a few challenges to improving Helensville particularly because the main road corridor is the responsibility of NZTA or Waka Kotahi, the central government agency that controls State Highways. We have little ability to directly encourage them to approve the appearance of the highway which is frustrating. The quality of maintenance varies wildly across Auckland, on some Highways there are lushly planted and maintained gardens and art, on others, there’s faded road markings complemented by piles of gravel, broken glass, rubbish and weeds. The North West seems to be particularly neglected by NZTA.

One thing that would make a huge difference is persistent reporting by residents of issues to both Council and NZTA. The more reporting of poor maintenance, damaged signs and furniture the more attention will be paid to keeping everything up to a higher standard.

You can help by quickly lodging issues with the appropriate agency, rather than on Facebook where it’s not seen by the people who have to do the actual work. This is best done online using the two links below. Providing your contact details will mean you should get follow up reports, and if you don’t see any action within a few weeks of a complaint, I want to hear so we can make sure the work is being done by contractors, my details are below as well.

NZTA: Road issues on State Highway16. https://www.nzta.govt.nz/contact-us/complaints/complaint-form/

Auckland Transport: Issues on all other roads. https://at.govt.nz/about-us/contact-us/feedback-form/

Auckland Council: Issues related to town centres, rubbish, graffiti, maintenance, weeds, cleaning etc. https://onlineservices.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/councilonline/rfs/landingpage

Are You a Tank Water User?

Local Board Update – September 2020

Important information for tank water users.

Image Source: https://nzentrepreneur.co.nz/startup-watch-tankful/

Are you a tank water user?

There are three things to consider ahead of what is predicted to be another dry summer:

1/ Understand your usage. Fit a tank level indicator and monitor usage in the periods between significant rain events. You must know your normal and then learn what steps you can take to reduce usage to make your storage capacity last longer.

2/ Consider additional storage capacity NOW. Adding additional capacity will reduce your requirement for water delivery during long periods without significant rainfall. However there will be no point in investing in additional storage capacity unless it is installed before the summer. There are often lead times for delivery of new tanks and installers need to be booked as well. If you are considering additional capacity act now…

3/ Lastly, don’t leave it until the last minute to book a water delivery. Water carriers will be very busy this summer just as they were last year.

Helensville is currently unaffected by the water restrictions that apply to Watercare’s metro network as it has its own independent supply. However last summer the huge demand from tank water suppliers meant that at times the Helensville filling station had its flow limited to ensure there was adequate pressure to fire hydrants. This slowed down deliveries making the demand situation worse. This situation will repeat itself this summer if there is another drought.

Some people have asked why Watercare doesn’t make a guaranteed provision for rural tank users? The simple answer is because Watercares services and infrastructure are paid for by its urban customers. To hook up to the urban supply requires an infrastructure growth charge fee of thousands of dollars and then there is the ongoing annual fees and water charges. These are not paid for by rural tank water users though our general council rates, urban water supply is a user pays service. In order for Watercare to cater to rural users they would have to work out how much water was required. We would need to come into a charging regime and it would probably have to be an ‘everyone in’ service. Those on tank supply that manage OK through droughts are unlikely to be happy about this sort of arrangement.

Council is looking at how it can assist with rural supply by developing addition capacity from suitable private bores. If you have one of these and would be interested in discussing this with Council please contact me on the email address below and I can put you in touch with the right staff.

Emergency 20lt filling stations will be available this summer however the supplementary tanker service provided will not due to budget cuts. This is why we are urging people to think about their tank supply now, get in touch with your local tank supplier now, leaving it until the end of the year or mid-summer will be too late!

Vote Local This Election

Vote Local This Election

Over the coming weeks, everyone will be turning their minds to the September general election. Here are some specifically local things you might want to consider when casting your vote.

Better Public Transport.

Investment in roads drives housing development. The bigger and more expensive those roads means more houses will follow because that will make up part of the cost benefit considerations for the inevitable business case. The alternative route being planned for SH16 is to take traffic from the housing expansion in north Huapai after 2028. This means that road will end up servicing roughly 6500 new residents, so it’s going to be busy.

What is needed for Huapai and Riverhead, and indeed the North West, is a range of public transport options that can be scaled with the coming growth.

Buses and trains are the obvious solutions, there are tracks and roads, and these will be faster and cheaper solutions than an entirely new rapid transit network. Fast and cheap are critical. The more expensive the solution the slower the delivery and less likely it is to happen, as we have seen with light rail.

Dedicated Busways like the North Shore are proven solutions. We need one from the CBD to Huapai along the North Western Motorway. The upgrades to the rail line also make it possible to put in a train service. Having both gives us access to a wider Auckland and also provides resilience.

Look out for parties that promise construction or delivery if a busway and train service starting within three years. If this doesn’t happen quickly, the traffic will get exponentially worse over the next decade.

Faster Road Upgrades.

When Special Housing Areas were put into Huapai we were promised infrastructure to match. Seven years later we’re still waiting. While the NZ Transport Agency has got work planned it’s been painfully slow to deliver this and, in fact, none of it is specifically intended to deal with residential growth. There are ways this work could be speeded up to get delivery prior to 2024. Providing four lanes to Kumeu to remove bottlenecks is obviously required.

Pushing the safety work to provide safe travel north of Waimauku should be a priority, there are too many injuries and deaths on this road.

Look out for a focus on accelerating the widening and new roundabout already planned and moving north with further safety improvements on SH16.

A New High School.

Figuring out what the Ministry of Education is planning is like trying to understand a secret cult. The Special Housing Area promises apply to this issue. As our local high school starts to fill up and traffic worsens travel times it’s time for the ministry to look at planning for a new high school.

What better way to kick this into gear than a political party promising to get it underway?

No More ‘Special Housing Area’ Type Developments.

Many of the issues with our local infrastructure can be neatly pinned onto the decision to override council planning and shove in housing without giving much thought to the funding of infrastructure.

Think it couldn’t happen again? Think again!

The previous government had Special Housing Areas; this government has an Urban Development Agency. Both focus on doing whatever it takes to deliver housing. Building houses is only one part of the equation, as we all now know road upgrades and community facilities are the other part.

Reforms to the RMA need to protect community input into large scale changes to an area. Any changes that promise to “unlock” or “quickly deliver housing” by removing or reforming the RMA mean the first casualty will be the ability of both the community and council to have a say.

We are nowhere near catching up with the last attempt, any further attempt would be a disaster.

Look for politicians who will undertake to fight any further large-scale developments pushed through by the government.

Give some of Auckland’s GST back to Auckland Transport.

Every year we individually cough up many thousands of dollars of GST. As we have seen this year property rates are not providing the funding needed to deal with transport infrastructure. The time has come for a change. Providing a small portion of GST back to Auckland’s transport agency, specifically tied to growth related projects, would free up money for better road maintenance and local projects. Will a party be brave enough to promise this?

Central Government Elections – Viewpoint Column

We’re acutely aware of how much property rates we pay as we get a regular bill. One positive thing about this is we’re focused on what’s done with our rates. On the other hand, last time you bought a coffee or went to the supermarket did you glance at the GST on the receipt? Unlikely.

Source: interest.co.nz

In 2019 the government collected a staggering $19 billion in GST, that figure only eclipsed by PAYE at $33 billion. Perhaps we should ask what our GST is being spent on?

Auckland Council’s ‘Emergency Budget’ has shown that property rates make up 37% of the council’s revenue with the balance coming from user-pays charges, development contributions, and dividends from Ports of Auckland and Auckland International Airport. As this non-rates income crashed a gaping hole appeared in council’s budget.

Rodney is the second-fastest growing area in Auckland. House building from Riverhead to Warkworth has highlighted the lack of infrastructure. This should be in lock- step with growth, not at some unspecified time in the future. Replicated across Auckland the lack of funding for population driven infrastructure could not have come at a worse time.

History shows government is reluctant to fund Auckland’s infrastructure unless voters are going apoplectic.  The previous government conducted the political equivalent of the dance of the seven veils before finally contributing to the Central Rail Link. This government hyped light rail but that’s mired in MMP politics, stranded somewhere in the traffic jam on the North-Western Motorway. To add insult to injury, when projects like the Puhoi to Warkworth motorway are finally built Aucklander’s are seen as an easy touch for revenue gathering in the form of tolls!

Governments have unleashed immigration on Auckland creating economic growth and healthy GST revenues. The government also enjoys access to higher levels of borrowing than council and a wider ability to increase revenues. They have passed on responsibility for convoluted RMA and building code regulatory and social functions to the council, neatly sidestepping the deep frustration all this red tape causes while avoiding the costs council has to recoup. It’s not surprising council operating costs have increased; every time government creates some new regulation it is frequently councils who are left having to implement them.

It’s time to move away from property rates as a way of funding the huge list of growth-related projects we need to keep the city moving. There are $6 billion of unfunded projects in Auckland’s Regional Land Transport Plan.

The government should put in place a mechanism to return a portion of our GST to Auckland Transport specifically for growth-related projects. This would free up funding to increase repairs and renewals on our crumbling road network and tackle the local projects that won’t be delivered for decades under the current funding arrangements.

This election we need a government that will return our taxes to deal with Auckland’s transport mess, something to consider when casting your vote!

Huapai Alternative Route

Local Board Update July 2020

Progress on one of our area’s most needed transport improvements.

Note: This is the updated route in December 2020.

Plans for an alternative state highway to SH16 between Brigham Creek Road and Waimauku are progressing with a preferred route expected to be confirmed to property owners around the middle of next year.

Property owners were told last year that they were in a ‘study area’ for the proposed new state highway. The study area is much wider than the land that will be required for this new transport route.

The Supporting Growth Programme team, who are leading this planning work on behalf of Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency and Auckland Transport, have sent letter to the property owners contacted last year to update them on progress and timeframes for what happens next.

The team have told me they’re currently refining the route and will ask to meet late this year with property owners still affected once the refinements are done. They then expect to be able to confirm that route in mid-2021.

The next step will be for the route to be finalised by a designation process, which could take two further years.

The alternative state highway is set down to be built in line with the anticipated rezoning and land release timeframes of the wider Kumeu-Huapai areas later this decade.

As well as improving congestion and travel times, the alternative state highway means the existing SH16 through Kumeu-Huapai will become a really important part of those revitalised town centres, with much-reduced through traffic.

The Supporting Growth team is also progressing the planning for a network of new and upgraded public transport connections, walking and cycling paths and roads for the north west in the long term, and will be talking to communities as these progress.

For more information, including a map of the indicative route of the alternative state highway, see www.supportinggrowth.nz  email info@supportinggrowth.nz or call 0800 4769 255.

https://supportinggrowth.govt.nz/assets/North-West/b09fcf3b0a/Kumeu-Huapai-Alternative-State-Highway-Corridor.pdf

Challenging Few Years Ahead with Council’s Emergency Budget.

Councillors will shortly be making a decision on the levels of rate increase (3.5% or 2.5%) and wrestling with the implications of a predicted $500m fall in revenue on the coming years budget.  What is not widely known is that property rates only provide 40% of Auckland Council’s income. With the sharp drop in revenue from fees and charges, dividend payments from shares Council owns in Auckland Airport and Ports of Auckland, there is now not enough money to fulfil all the previously proposed budget spending. Increased borrowing is not possible as it would inevitably lead to a lowering of Council’s international credit rating and push up the interest rate paid to borrow money that would mean more income would be diverted to repayments at a time when that income has fallen.

Council has moved swiftly to reduce spending shedding 1100 staff in the last few months making it second only to Air NZ in terms of job losses. More of this and budget cuts will follow.

At a local level we are still working through what this will mean but it is going to see projects delayed for a year or longer.

Having spent the last six years battling for infrastructure to meet growth and parity of services with the rest of Auckland this is a frustrating time. The next three years were going to finally see the delivery of some larger projects and these may now be delayed or cut depending on how large the cuts are. Progress on some local projects is contingent on the Government stepping up with ‘shovel ready project’ funding which will plug the yawning hole in Council’s budget.

Te Rau Pūriri Regional Park Concept Plan

Local Board Update June 2020

Te Rau Pūriri Regional Park Concept Plan

Between 2005 and 2014 Council purchased three blocks of land to create a new 340ha Regional Park.

From Lake Rototoa to the Kaipara Harbour Te Rau Pūriri Regional Park is a mix of rolling farmland, wetlands and steep gully systems broadly covering the Patauoa Creek Valley. There are a range of shorebird species that visit the coastal area of the park, with the Kaipara Harbour being one of the three areas in the Auckland region of national and international ornithological significance. Much of the original vegetation cover within the park boundaries has been removed during its conversion to farmland in the 1800s, and the majority of vegetation seen today is regenerating forest, scrub and shrubland.

There are a number of recorded archaeological sites within the area, including pā sites, platform or terrace complexes, pits and middens. There is a regionally significant geological site at the Patauoa Creek, being “one of the best examples of 6m high coastal terrace formed during the last interglacial sea level high” as listed in the Geopreservation Inventory.

Presently the park is not heavily used for recreational purposes. There are marked tracks existing through the original block of land (the Neil property) however, no walking tracks exist outside of this to connect through the McLeod Farm block to the Prawn Farm. Horse riding is a controlled activity through the southern end of the park with fl oat and horse truck parking at the entrance off South Head Road.

It’s been a long time coming but finally Regional Parks have developed a draft plan with some options for the future development of this significant regional park.

There are four main principals applied to the draft plan:

• Conserve and enhance the natural landscape and improve biodiversity through restoration and education

• Retain site character and acknowledge history

• Manage and maintain recreational opportunities for the enjoyment and well-being of the local community, mana whenua and visitors

• Continue to manage open space farming

 
Existing recreation includes walking, horse-riding, and other forms of passive recreation.

It is intended that more facilities and infrastructure be provided to enhance recreational use and provide different types of use. This may include; camping, BBQ facilities, orienteering and extended walking and horse-riding tracks. Feedback is also being asked for on facilities for camping, day activities and for launching boats.

This is your opportunity to have your say on what you would like to see included in the development of Te Rau Pūriri Regional Park.

Submissions close on the 12^th June.
Google: ‘Te Rau Puriri Have Your Say’ to see the concept plans and provide your feedback.

Council Facilities Open Following COVID-19

Council facilities have been gradually opening over the last few weeks, however some of the halls and community facilities have been a bit slow with staff suggesting some may not reopen until July. For regular users of our halls this is not going to work and so I have been pushing for quicker opening. If you’re a user and are having issues, please contact me on either 021 837 167 or phelan.pirrie@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

Local Board Update – May 2020

Local Board Update – May 2020

Everyone will be getting used to a bit more freedom by now and no doubt itching to get further beyond their direct neighbourhoods.

Our district is blessed with parks that have some of the most beautiful views in Auckland and are great for a walk while maintaining social distancing.  Note that under Level 3 all parks facilities and playgrounds are closed, so sorry, no toilets! This is because the Council is unable to clean them every time they are used to avoid public exposure to infection.

The obvious one is Muriwai Beach, with over 50 km of wild black sand and dunes. Get out now and enjoy some raw west coast beauty north of Okiritoto Stream which is dog friendly, with few other people, and, for a few more weeks, without vehicles. If your dog is looking for a change of scenery you can let them blow off some steam at the local park Pollard Lane in Waimauku.

Near Muriwai there is another couple of great Department of Conservation walks. Head to Constable Road to the Te Henga track, part of the Hilary Trail, which runs from Muriwai to Bethels Beach. Take half a day or so to do the whole track or just get down to the cliff edge walk to blow out any cobwebs. If you want to do a bush walk at the beginning of road is the peaceful Goldie Bush walk down through a Kauri forest to the Mokoroa Falls, you’ll need good walking shoes for the falls walk. No dogs are allowed at either reserve and make sure you use the shoe wash stations to stop the spread of Kauri Dieback Disease.

Another well-kept secret is the large regional park Te Rau Puriri at 2911 South Head Road. This relatively undeveloped 340-hectare park has grown with the addition of new land over the last few years and boasts stunning views of the Kaipara Harbour and one of the peninsula’s dune lakes, Rototoa. A new management plan is being developed which will see this park become a great destination for the north-west. There are some seasonal restrictions with dogs because it is a working farm, so check online before you go.

Back in Parakai there is Kaipātiki Reserve (formerly Parakai Domain) this is a jointly managed reserve between Ngāti Whātua o Kaiapa and Auckland Council. There is a major redevelopment plan underway for the reserve over the coming years. Heading north the recent addition of a perimeter track at Rautawhiri Park in Helensville allows all-weather walking – dogs are welcome, there’s also the small local Sinclair Park in Kaukapakapa off Macky Road.

Consultation has been delayed on the Council Annual Budget due to COVID-19. There are now going to be significant cuts to spending over the next year. This is partly because of the expected reduction in income from investments like Auckland Airport and Ports of Auckland plus reductions in fees and charges. There is going to be a public consultation on two options for a rates increase going to the public for feedback this will also identify which areas of spending that will be cut and what the implications of this will be. At the time of writing, I don’t know what the implications will be for local projects.

Auckland Drought

Local Board Update – March 2020

The record-breaking dry weather has caused hardship of many of us who rely on rainwater. With no rain for 40 days, tanks have run dry catching many people out. This has led to a rush on water carriers who are now swamped with orders – some have had to stop taking further bookings. I know I’ll be looking at putting in another water tank this winter!

There have been calls for Council or Watercare to step in to guarantee water supply for rural communities, and dismay that there no water restrictions for urban residents on Watercare’s reticulated water supply.

Most of Auckland’s reticulated water is linked. From the Orewa to Pukekohe residents share the same sources and water supply. Since amalgamation Watercare (which is a stand-alone, self-financing unit of Auckland Council) has been very successful in developing a reliable, safe water supply for its urban customers. Billions of dollars have been invested in water and sewerage infrastructure however this is not paid for by general rates, but through user and infrastructure charges to connect. In some cases, these connection charges can be as high as $20,000. Watercare has a contractual responsibility with these customers to provide them with water.

Currently there is no shortage of water for the main Auckland urban supply. While Watercare has encouraged people to be careful with water, it has not had to impose the bans seen in the past because it has ensured a robust storage network.

In Rodney; Helensville, Warkworth, and Wellsford the urban water supply is supplied by each town’s own source. Bore water is pumped into reservoirs. Again, millions of dollars have been invested in making these supplies resilient which is why those customers have not yet seen bans on what they can use water for.

For rural residents looking to top up empty water tanks, there are either suppliers with their own bore water or those that use Watercare’s filling stations of which there are 11 across Auckland. Two of these are in Wellsford and Helensville.

There is an issue with how quickly carriers have been able to deliver because the demand suddenly spiked for filling station supply as water carriers started working later and later. It affected the aquifers’ ability to fill the reservoirs quickly enough to maintain water pressure for fire hydrants. Because there is normally negligible use overnight the steady flow of the bore supply topped the reservoirs off, however with tankers drawing off water until late at night this wasn’t able to happen. In response to the drop in pressure on water mains Watercare limited or shut off flow to these to filling stations which slowed down the speed that carriers could deliver water.

Watercare is in a difficult position. It has a responsibility to those that have paid for the infrastructure and rely on the water for not only domestic use but also from fire hydrants in the event of an emergency.

The calls to have Watercare more directly involved in rural water supply need to be considered carefully. This will come at a cost and currently, rural ratepayers do not pay anything towards Watercare’s infrastructure (apart from the $15 per 10,000 litres water carriers pay if you use their service). Any move to guarantee supply will involve us all paying a contribution towards Watercare’s infrastructure just like households paying $20,000 to hook up to the supply in urban areas. Meters may be required to ascertain usage because Watercare would need to know how much water it needed to store for rural users. Geography and the sparse population mean the costs of this will be significant. In order to make it financially viable, everyone may be compelled to contribute. Would it would be better to pay a one-off cost of a few thousand dollars to install another tank to collect free rainwater or leap into paying Watercare significantly more, on an ongoing basis, for a guaranteed urban supply?

Auckland Council staff have led the response to the situation working through a range of options to mitigate the hardship for those who have run out of water. Community centre and halls have been opened to allow residents to fill drinking water containers and use showers, large tankers have been deployed at filling stations to allow water carriers to fill up quickly so they can tackle the backlog of customers. There is also a plan (at time of writing) to place large water tanks in rural communities to allow residents to fill up containers closer to home.
I expect longer-term Watercare will be looking at its filling stations and how to increase capacity at them to allow carriers to fill while not compromising water pressure firefighting supply.

There’s a plea from water carrier to residents to let them know if you’ve booked with multiple suppliers and got your delivery. Carriers have turned up at residences to find full tanks wasting hours of delivery time. This is contributing to the waiting lists and carriers closing off orders.

You can get the latest information on Council’s response and services being provided at community centres by visiting: http://www.ourauckland.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz