Ponter told The Front Page the network is ageing and territorial authorities have failed to adequately invest in the infrastructure over many decades.
There has not been a systematic approach to making that investment, he said.
“It should be a core and fundamental activity for investment. The other things that a city might invest in like new town halls, or refurbished town halls, or bike lanes, or whatever issue it might be should be secondary issues.”
Part of the answer to the problem does lead to the government’s doorstep to change legislation and ensure councils are more focused on their responsibility for core infrastructure, Ponter said.
“I do think that there is a very strong role for government in providing answers to this, to the situation that we’re in at the moment.
“But I’m also wary of councils developing the view that the government should somehow bail them out of the situation.”
Wellington was largely in this conundrum as a consequence of councils failing in the past to make the right investment decisions, Ponter said.
“It sends the wrong message if the government as the white knight comes over the hill with a bucket of money if you like because it only incentivises that same behaviour,” he said.
“We really do need to have a real jolt within local government and a big change in the way in which we prioritise investment.”
Listen to the full episode to hear more from Daran Ponter about how Wellington’s water woes have gone from bad to worse.
The Front Page is a daily news podcast from the New Zealand Herald, available to listen to every weekday from 5am. This episode was presented by Georgina Campbell, a Wellington-based reporter who has a particular interest in local government, transport, and seismic issues. She joined the Herald in 2019 after working as a broadcast journalist.
You can follow the podcast at iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
