Plug may be pulled on privatising

By MELISSA MOXON

TE AWAMUTU - Moves towards private management of the Waipa District's water system are expected to be canned at a special council meeting today.

New general manager John Inglis will recommend that the council halts a review of its water and wastewater operations and that it disbands the investigating committee.

Campaigners against water privatisation are optimistic that councillors will agree to the request.

A spokesman for the Waipa Local Democracy ratepayer group, Gavin Cooper, said a petition started a week ago had collected 800 signatures urging continued council ownership and operation of the system.

However, Mr Cooper said a halt to the committee's investigations might only be temporary.

"We'll keep the petition going. If they decide to revisit it, we will be waiting for them."

The committee, or establishment unit, has already narrowed options to two.

One is to set up a local authority trading enterprise (LATE) similar to Auckland's Metrowater, with the council retaining majority ownership and a private consortium developing and managing the systems.

Alternatively, the consortium would do the work under council management.

An establishment unit member, Max Jones, said councillors would be sure to call off the investigation while Mr Inglis studied all the options, but it did not mean the general manager wanted to retain the status quo or that the council would not make changes in future.

In his report, Mr Inglis says there is limited time available to carry out a proper review of in-house operations.

Mr Inglis, who joined the council at the beginning of the month, wants time to assess all operations and offer his advice on how they may best be managed.

* Te Awamutu's controversial swimming and events centre has been given a $450,000 boost by Trust Waikato.

Before the $7.25 million project can proceed, the council wants $500,000 in public donations banked by the end of February.

Events Centre Trust chairman Mervyn Gyde said $280,000 had been collected of the $1.9 million pledged, which included large sums from organisations such as the Lottery Grants Board.

Waipa Local Democracy is lobbying for a scaled-down $6 million version and Mr Cooper said 1000 signatures had been collected.

Mr Gyde said a number of negative people had made some outrageous statements, but most residents just wanted the centre to be built.