Residents delighted Havelock North green space is to be preserved

Protest signs on Karanema Dr, Havelock North, where the Hastings District Council was formerly proposing to put a pump station. Photo / File

Havelock North residents who have been campaigning to preserve a green space in the village are delighted with the Hastings District Council's decision to change the location of a proposed water booster pump station.

At a council meeting yesterday, most councillors voted in favour of building the station at an alternative, industrial-zoned site at 15 Karanema Dr behind the Havelock North Fire Station, with those in support giving a variety of reasons for their decision.

The small patch of land on 25 Karanema Dr opposite the Havelock North domain was last year identified as a potential site to build the booster station, raising the ire of nearby residents worried about the effect the structure would have on nearby property values, the loss of some of the trees, the size of the facility and the noise it would generate.

These concerns prompted the council to try and find an alternative site, and an area behind the Havelock North Fire Station was identified for the $3 million project needed to provide security of safe water supply for residents.

This location did not have the same level of opposition from the community, but came at an additional, unbudgeted $901,000 cost to buy the land, as opposed to the park land, which the council already owned.

In deliberations, some councillors voiced concern at that extra cost.

Having been appointed to a financial management portfolio, councillor Geraldine Travers said she was uncomfortable with the extra expenditure and wondered if there was a possibility of a targeted rate for those that would benefit from the new reticulated system.

Her concerns were echoed by councillor Ann Redstone, and councillor Jacoby Poulain said the council should be mindful that a similar pumping station had been built in a residential area in Flaxmere, and that she hoped Flaxmere residents would be given the same consideration in the future.

Other councillors, however, were supportive of the new location at 15 Karanema Dr, even if it entailed extra cost.

Deputy mayor Tanya Kerr said when she came into the debate, she thought the issue was a Nimby (Not in my back yard) one, and that she would not make her decision on that basis.

"For me it's about risk - I see the greater risk is more about not having water than the cost - we need to have the new plant operating by 2019 and significant periods without water need to be avoided at all costs," she said in reference to the possibility of legal action by opponents of the 25 Karanema Dr site, which could delay construction.

Councillor Kevin Watkins said the Fire Station site was a future-proofed one in the event that extra infrastructure needed to be built, and one more likely to avoid any potential litigation.

Councillor Simon Nixon noted the community had had to come to terms with a lot of trees being ripped out of Napier Rd already, and this along with other advantages led him to support the Fire Station option.

All the councillors were in support of the alternative site, apart from Jacoby Poulain, Geraldine Travers, Ann Redstone and Wendy Schollum who abstained from voting.

Resident Barry Jones said he was over the moon with the outcome.

"It's great the councillors could appreciate what we were saying - it makes absolute sense to go with the Fire Station site."