Borough boundary drainage confusion may prompt review

A pensioner's struggle to have his property exempt from stormwater charges may highlight the need for a drainage boundaries review in the Kaipara.
There has been no district drainage review since the Kaipara District was established in 1989 and it still follows the old Dargaville Borough boundary, not the natural catchment boundary - so some properties are levied while their neighbours are not.
For almost two years Leo Glamazina has challenged Kaipara District Council over stormwater rating charges on his property. Mr Glamazina has lived at his Glamazina Dr property for more than 36 years. Since his property is on a private road, off Colville Rd, it is not zoned within the Dargaville stormwater district and he has never been required to pay charges.
In July, 2005, Mr Glamazina received a rates account showing a charge of $1235.35 for stormwater and approached the council for an explanation. He said he was told his property actually did fall within the rating area and it had been an oversight that he had not been charged earlier. He queried this and was given conflicting information. He sought legal advice. He said he also made a submission to the 2006 annual plan asking for his property to be exempt from the charges since he collected stormwater in two tanks and did not discharge into the system. He pointed out that neighbouring properties did not pay any stormwater charges. He said he did not hear back from the council on this submission and continued to seek an explanation. In January this year, he received a reply to his April 2006 letter, apologising for the delay and saying significant research had been required. It appears resource consent for a subdivision on Mr Glamazina's title requested the properties be connected to the stormwater system.
The letter stated that while Mr Glamazina's property was not inside the Dargaville stormwater drainage district, conditions imposed by a resource consent for the 1999 subdivision created an extraordinary connection to the stormwater system and made him liable for the charges. The subdivision surveyed five sections off a former single title. Mr Glamazina lives on one, two have been sold and pay stormwater rates. Two remaining sections have since been amalgamated on to Mr Glamazina's title.
Under these consent conditions the council says Mr Glamazina should have been charged stormwater rates since July 1999, but the oversight meant the council would not charge arrears.