FNDC councillor Mate Radich made a renewed motion for a judicial review into the Sweetwater Aquifer. Photo / Mike Dinsdale
FNDC councillor Mate Radich made a renewed motion for a judicial review into the Sweetwater Aquifer. Photo / Mike Dinsdale
A renewed push for a judicial review into the Sweetwater Aquifer project has been voted down, a divided Far North District Council choosing not to back councillor Mate Radich’s motion.
At a recent council meeting, Radic motioned that the council request a judicial review be done immediatelyon the Sweetwater Aquifer project.
A judicial review would see a court look at whether decisions made were lawful and fair.
Radich previously requested a motion for a judicial review in May. The council went ahead with an internal review which Radich said was missing information like an itemised listing of costs, who was compensated, costs in delay of the bore being operational and costs in implementing a temporary alternative due to time delays.
“These are needed to ensure that ratepayers have an understanding of where there funding has gone and factual information about the cost of their water supply,” he said.
Given the chance to change the wording in his motion, to have an external review done instead, Radich chose not to back down.
After Mayor Moko Tepania put the motion to a vote, councillors narrowly rejected it. Four voted for the judicial review, five opposed it and one abstained.
The Sweetwater Aquifer Project was started to secure Kaitāia’s water supply during the dry summer months.
Earlier this year councillors voted for an internal review, given the high cost of a judicial review.
The internal review, released last month (August), stated the cost of the project was $18,016,070.
Of that, just $2.4 million was spent developing the initial bore site from 2011 to 2017.
Far North District Council water treatment supervisor Regan Jones gives his approval of the water from the Sweetwater Aquifer following its completion earlier this year. Photo/ Mike Dinsdale
The bulk of the money, $14.9m, was spent on bore improvements and pipeline construction between 2020 and 2024.
Radich said a judicial review was necessary as many ratepayers had approached him wanting a detailed account of where the money went.
He said he was very disappointed with how the matter had been handled, “where millions of dollars was spent with little accountability”.
“I have decided to stick to my original motion, that a judicial review is done. I am fully aware of the cost, but the good side is that every dollar will be accounted for. We owe this to the ratepayer.”
Deputy Mayor Kelly Stratford voted against the motion and argued they would be “laughed out of court” if they went ahead.
“I don’t believe this is a matter for a High Court and they would laugh it out and send it back to us. I stand by him to seek an independent [firm] look at it.”
“I will stick to my wording. I will stick to a judicial report. I think by having it the truth will come out and we will all know where that money all went to. That is what the ratepayers in our community want. They are frustrated we can’t turn eyes away,” Radich said.
Councillor Penetaui Kleskovic voted for the motion and said he believed the judicial review would produce some interesting findings.
“I think what you will find in the judicial review will be embarrassing for this council. What you will find is that council could have done the Sweetwater or something like that if they partnered with neighbouring iwi, who had already spent significant money on commercial bore capable of providing water to the Kaitāia township, they [council] never done that.”
He believed if it was what Far North ratepayers were calling for, it should go ahead.
“If the ratepayers in Te Hiku want councillor Radich to conduct a judicial review and he wants to stick to that, then it means this council gets dragged to the High Court. It may not be best thing for this council, but it will be a stark reminder and lesson to the staff here in future to go and talk to the local iwi, because that will be the biggest finding to come out of there.”
