'Work with us to solve issue with Dannevirke dam'

Ratepayers and residents want answers on the problems at Dannevirke's dam. Photo / Leanne Warr

Would the Tararua District Council work with the Dannevirke Ratepayers and Residents' Association to resolve ongoing issues with the town's dam?

That was one of the questions raised in submission hearings for the 2022-23 Annual Plan by the association last week.

Susan Lyford, John Schrader and Craig Ellmers of Dannevirke Ratepayers and Residents Association spoke about the dam at the submission hearings at Tararua District Council. Photo / Leanne Warr

Association president Craig Ellmers said "a book could be written on the problems, ongoing failure and money that has been and is continuously poured into a black hole as we see it."

He said Dannevirke residents had gone from being concerned to now being up in arms at a lack of progress and increased expenditure on the dam, where leaks were discovered last year and further leaks had since been found.

"We've asked on behalf of the association to meet with council and engage experts and management in a joint effort to get this long-standing matter resolved."

In its submission to the council, the association presented a strategy which included a proper and full inspection of the lining, inside walls/out-take area and any other key element of the liner and sub-layer of all perimeter walls which could only be achieved by removing the floating lid off the reservoir and draining all water from the dam.

There was no good time for this to be done, but it was suggested that as Dannevirke was between seasons, now would have been the best time to undertake such a course of action.

Ellmers told the council he had spoken with a number of representatives of organisations that had some involvement with the dam.

"From those discussions we do not consider that council has taken the correct or best approach to this now farcical problem."

The association also asked council if they were aware of a potential problem caused by a proposed regulatory framework for dam safety about to be passed in Parliament.

"It is considered by those we've talked to that this dam is likely to fall short of the legislation's safety requirements."

Ellmers said the matter had been crying out for leadership and honesty for some time.

He said hard decisions needed to be made with the involvement of others outside the council team who ratepayers felt did not have the experience nor the skill-set to get the matter sorted.

"We respectfully again ask the council to bring the association around the table to work jointly on a resolution before we enter into another year of missed opportunity and water restrictions which the ratepayers are just not willing to endure."

Mayor Tracey Collis said there were still investigations into the dam but council was looking at holding a public meeting further down the track.