Whanganui has just over 1000km of water (storm, waste and drinking) pipeline. Photo / 123rf
Whanganui has just over 1000km of water (storm, waste and drinking) pipeline. Photo / 123rf
Whanganui District Council has settled on a joint-council model featuring Ruapehu and Rangitīkei as its preferred option for the future of water services.
Public consultation will now open from March 17 to April 14 in what Deputy Mayor Helen Craig says is one of the most “important decisions with long-term impact that this community is facing”.
Whanganui Three Waters transition manager Kathryn Stewart told the council’s strategy and policy committee the Government was driving a tight timeline for delivery of a water services plan under its Local Water Done Well legislation.
Councils must submit their plans by September 3, with the Government confirming them from October.
“My message to the community is if you can, sit down and read this as soon as it comes out,” she said.
“I personally think this is one of the most important decisions with long-term impact that this community is facing.
“Time is going to go fast. We need to hear from you.”
The council has included three other options in the consultation – a new water services council-controlled organisation (CCO) 100% owned by the council, a multi-council CCO with as many councils in the Manawatū-Whanganui region as possible and an in-house business unit – the status quo.
A single council model would mean no significant changes to day-to-day operations but “less opportunity to attract skilled technical staff to specialist roles”, the consultation said.
Set-up costs would also be shared by the smallest number of users.
The preferred model would have “benefits of scale” such as cost efficiency and shared expertise but there could be less local influence due to more stakeholders involved in decision-making.
According to the consultation document, going with the three-council CCO model would cost Whanganui ratepayers an average of $2028 for water in 2025/6, compared with $1849 for a single-council CCO and $2091 for an in-house business model.
Whanganui Deputy Mayor Helen Craig. Photo / NZME
In 30 years, the three-council model would mean an average of $3811 per year, with the single council model at $4543 and the in-house business unit at $4279.
The council’s Long Term Plan includes a $35 million investment into water supply projects, such as adding ultraviolet disinfection to drinking water supplies and investigating a new water bore on the south side of the Whanganui River.
A total of $71m will be invested in wastewater over the next 10 years, along with $51m in stormwater.
Speaking to the Chronicle this week, Whanganui Mayor Andrew Tripe said that funding would sit in the three-council CCO if the preferred option was made official.
“That investment would come out of council’s balance sheet, which would have everything else in it except water,” Tripe said.
“There are already plans in place at each council in terms of water infrastructure.
“All that’s really happening, as I understand it, is they will be ring-fenced into a CCO and delivered from the CCO rather than from each council.”
The council will run “community korero” events during the consultation, in locations such as the Sarjeant Gallery, the Hakeke St Community Centre and Library, the Gonville Library and Majestic Square.
Mike Tweed is a multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily the Whanganui District Council.
