The Waikato District Council has surprised Hamilton City Council by looking north for water services. A report in the Waikato Times says that after Waikato, Waipa and Hamilton councils committed $650,000 to a study into the management of water, storm water and sewage across three districts. Now the Waikato District Council has committed $55,000 into investigating an expansion of its current relationship with Watercare Services, with staff recommending a consolidation model.
This move seems to have surprised the Hamilton Council with City councillor Rob Pascoe, who is a member of the governance group overseeing the development of the Waikato Water Study, being unaware of the Watercare Services report until Sunday evening. Pascoe was “disappointed” not to be kept informed of the report’s development.
Perhaps the time has come for the Raglan Community Board to take over management of the local water supply as the local water supply is totally independent of the Waikato River. The full Waikato District Council statement on their northern option follows.
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Media Release: Waikato District Council, 17 February 2015
Council approves consolidation as fourth option in sub-regional water study
Waikato District Council will include consolidation with Watercare as a fourth option to be analysed in the sub-regional joint water study which is currently underway.
Last October, Council voted in favour of a joint study with Waipa District and Hamilton City Councils around the future management of water and wastewater services with three options considered. These included improving existing shared service arrangements between all three councils, retaining the status quo with each council running its own operations, or considering a ratepayer-owned and council-controlled water management company (CCO).
Waikato District Council also resolved to include a fourth option , investigating the possibility of expanding a current agreement with Auckland Council’s CCO Watercare Services Ltd. The cost of this review is an additional $55,000.
Chief Executive Gavin Ion says the decision to include a fourth option has always been about efficiency and considering all options available to our communities.
“This option was at the cost of, and specifically for the benefit of, the Waikato district. It was to ensure that at the conclusion of this joint study we have all options available to us and are confident Council makes a decision which will provide the most cost efficient and effective water services to its community.”