Latest news with #LocalWaterDoneWell
1News
5 hours ago
- Politics
- 1News
'Torches' and 'pitchforks': Rotorua council's turbulent water debate
Rotorua Lakes Council has thrashed out two proposals that will shape the city's future approach to water and treated wastewater services. But it was not straightforward in the meeting on Wednesday, with councillor Robert Lee's suggestion to dump treated wastewater into a stream rebuked by fellow councillors, and debates over mana whenua and te ao Māori principles. Rotorua's current wastewater system uses spray irrigation in the Whakarewarewa Forest under a temporary agreement until 2026. The council was voting on whether to establish a Recovered Water Working Group to assess alternatives and recommend a new permanent discharge method by early 2027. The vote was divided into two sections, with the criteria and values of a working group to consider as well as the weighting of those values. ADVERTISEMENT Lee labelled the process "overly complex and complicated" and any working group a "recipe for disaster". Councillor Robert Lee of Rotorua Lakes Council. (Source: Local Democracy Reporting) He suggested a simple solution existed, which was to drain treated wastewater into Puarenga Stream. He said this would be the "cheapest solution" for ratepayers. Councillor Gregg Brown said that would be a "pretty quick" way to end up in the Environment Court. Councillor Don Paterson then suggested the people of Ngapuna would be "lighting torches and coming with pitchforks" should that be the plan. Councillor Conan O'Brien insisted a complete consensus on the issue was unlikely, before Mayor Tania Tapsell emphasised a need to go "above and beyond" to ensure all wastewater decision-making was made in the public eye. Rotorua Lakes Council Mayor Tania Tapsell. (Source: Local Democracy Reporting) ADVERTISEMENT Councillor Lani Kereopa also expressed her concerns about the plan putting costs ahead of mana whenua engagement. She and Lee both voted against the criteria and values. Councillors were asked to vote on how to prioritise the outcomes the working group should focus on. One option gave more weight to financial and practical concerns, assigning 35% each to total lifecycle cost and implementation risk, while giving just 10% each to relationships with mana whenua, community acceptance and environmental outcomes. The alternative was to treat all five areas equally at 20% each. Most councillors supported the first option with the heavier weighting on cost and risk. However, Kereopa, Paterson and Trevor Maxwell voted against it, raising concerns that mana whenua engagement was being undervalued. Lee abstained. There was more heated debate as councillors confirmed the Water Services Delivery Plan. The plan, required by the Government's Local Water Done Well legislation, stated Rotorua would continue managing water services in-house until at least 2028. ADVERTISEMENT Meanwhile, the council would explore forming a joint water services organisation with neighbouring councils, then make a final service delivery model decision in 2027. Lee signalled an intention to abstain from voting, saying he was sceptical of the ability of a council-controlled organisation to deliver and of some wording around te ao Māori and mana whenua. He highlighted a recent agreement with Ngāti Kearoa-Ngāti Tuara over Karamū Tākina Springs, which supply 60% of the city's drinking water, saying it meant rates rises for constituents. Despite their concerns about changes being forced upon them by central government, Lee's abstention was rebuked by Brown and O'Brien. Councillor Gregg Brown. (Source: Local Democracy Reporting) "For a mayoral candidate to sit on the fence is not great fella," said Brown. "Abstain? Come on. You've got all the information make a decision." "I won't be abstaining despite my concerns," said O'Brien. "Because I am here to make decisions. I believe that is why people put me here. Not just to blab, continue on and sit on the fence and not make a decision or follow principles." ADVERTISEMENT Lee suggested abstaining was one of three voting options, along with yes and no. 'Continuing bashing of Māori and iwi' Tapsell said his voting options were yes or no and that abstaining was considered a non-vote. The mayor praised council staff for putting together a "strategic document', which gave the council time and opportunity to decrease costs and ensure they make the right long-term decision. She then called out Lee for what she described as his "continuing bashing of Māori and iwi". Tapsell suggested the Karamū Tākina Springs agreement potentially saved a sum approaching $100 million. Lee's attempt to raise a point of order in response was shot down by Tapsell, who gave him one more chance to "please be quiet" to allow the meeting to continue. ADVERTISEMENT The motion then carried, with Lee abstaining and Paterson voting against – believing it was unfair Rotorua be treated the same as other areas with poorer performing water systems. Tapsell and Lee previously confirmed to Local Democracy Reporting they would run for mayor in the October election. By Matthew Nash, Local Democracy Reporter LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air
Scoop
9 hours ago
- Business
- Scoop
Waimakariri In-House Water Plan Approved
Waimakariri's water services structure has been given the green light. The Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) has given the tick of approval to the Waimakariri District Council's water services delivery plan, which will see the council beef-up its in-house business unit in line with the Government's Local Water Done Well legislation. Waimakariri Mayor Dan Gordon said the decision was good news for the district, after the council consulted on its water services delivery plan as part of its annual plan consultation. The council received 764 submissions on the topic, with 97 percent in support of the council's preferred option. Mr Gordon said the council has invested in its water infrastructure over a number of years, which meant it was not going to face the same costs for upgrades as other councils were facing. ''Because of this, modelling of future costs has shown that in the first 10 years the best model for Waimakariri is an internal business unit. ''This provides certainty for the community and through a business unit we retain effective control and influence, which is what is important to the community.'' The council operates six urban drinking water schemes and five rural drinking water schemes, servicing around 21,500 urban, rural and commercial properties. It also operates two wastewater schemes serving around 18,800 properties, and five urban and seven rural stormwater drainage areas. Council staff said more than $100m has been invested in the district's water infrastructure over the last 20 years. The waters service delivery plan outlines the steps the council will make over the next 12 to 24 months to ensure the structure is aligned with the new legislation, with fully ring-fenced financials for drinking water and wastewater. Mr Gordon said the council has established operational relationships with the Hurunui and Kaikōura councils, and remains open to expanding these shared service arrangements. The Hurunui and Kaikōura district councils voted separately in May to form a joint water services council controlled organisation (CCO) in line with the Government's Local Water Done Well legislation. The two councils have now prepared a memorandum of understanding and a draft water services delivery plan which will be presented to their respective council meetings next week. The councils have both said the door remains open to Waimakariri joining their CCO. The Hurunui council supplies water to households in the Ashley and Loburn areas, while Waimakariri offers design and IT services to the Hurunui and Kaikōura councils' water units when needed. Under the legislation, councils are required to submit water services delivery plans to the DIA by September 3. Once a plan has been approved, councils have until June 30, 2028, to demonstrate they are financially sustainable.
NZ Herald
20 hours ago
- Politics
- NZ Herald
Rotorua councillors debate wastewater discharge plans
The vote was divided into two sections, with the criteria and values of a working group to consider as well as the weighting of those values. Lee labelled the process 'overly complex and complicated' and any working group a 'recipe for disaster'. He suggested a simple solution existed, which was to drain treated wastewater into Puarenga Stream. He said this would be the 'cheapest solution' for ratepayers. Councillor Gregg Brown said that would be a 'pretty quick' way to end up in the Environment Court. Councillor Don Paterson then suggested the people of Ngapuna would be 'lighting torches and coming with pitchforks' should that be the plan. Councillor Don Paterson. Photo / Laura Smith Councillor Conan O'Brien insisted a complete consensus on the issue was unlikely, before Mayor Tania Tapsell emphasised a need to go 'above and beyond' to ensure all wastewater decision-making was made in the public eye. Councillor Lani Kereopa also expressed her concerns about the plan putting costs ahead of mana whenua engagement. She and Lee both voted against the criteria and values. Councillors were asked to vote on how to prioritise the outcomes the working group should focus on. One option gave more weight to financial and practical concerns, assigning 35% each to total lifecycle cost and implementation risk, while giving just 10% each to relationships with mana whenua, community acceptance and environmental outcomes. The alternative was to treat all five areas equally at 20% each. Most councillors supported the first option with the heavier weighting on cost and risk. However, Kereopa, Paterson and Trevor Maxwell voted against it, raising concerns that mana whenua engagement was being undervalued. Lee abstained. There was more heated debate as councillors confirmed the Water Services Delivery Plan. Puarenga Stream. Photo / Ben Fraser The plan, required by the Government's Local Water Done Well legislation, stated Rotorua would continue managing water services in-house until at least 2028. Meanwhile, the council would explore forming a joint water services organisation with neighbouring councils, then make a final service delivery model decision in 2027. Lee signalled an intention to abstain from voting, saying he was sceptical of the ability of a council-controlled organisation to deliver and of some wording around te ao Māori and mana whenua. He highlighted a recent agreement with Ngāti Kearoa-Ngāti Tuara over Karamū Tākina Springs, which supply 60% of the city's drinking water, saying it meant rates rises for constituents. Councillor Gregg Brown. Photo / Andrew Warner Despite their concerns about changes being forced upon them by central government, Lee's abstention was rebuked by Brown and O'Brien. 'For a mayoral candidate to sit on the fence is not great fella,' said Brown. 'Abstain? Come on. You've got all the information make a decision.' 'I won't be abstaining despite my concerns,' said O'Brien. 'Because I am here to make decisions. I believe that is why people put me here. Not just to blab, continue on and sit on the fence and not make a decision or follow principles.' Lee suggested abstaining was one of three voting options, along with yes and no. Tapsell said his voting options were yes or no and that abstaining was considered a non-vote. Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell. Photo / Laura Smith The mayor praised council staff for putting together a 'strategic document', which gave the council time and opportunity to decrease costs and ensure they make the right long-term decision. She then called out Lee for what she described as his 'continuing bashing of Māori and iwi'. Tapsell suggested the Karamū Tākina Springs agreement potentially saved a sum approaching $100 million. Lee's attempt to raise a point of order in response was shot down by Tapsell, who gave him one more chance to 'please be quiet' to allow the meeting to continue. The motion then carried, with Lee abstaining and Paterson voting against – believing it was unfair Rotorua be treated the same as other areas with poorer performing water systems. Tapsell and Lee previously confirmed to Local Democracy Reporting they would run for mayor in the October election. Mathew Nash is a Local Democracy Reporting journalist based at the Rotorua Daily Post. He has previously written for SunLive, been a regular contributor to RNZ and was a football reporter in the UK for eight years. - LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
NZ Herald
a day ago
- Business
- NZ Herald
Mayor Mahé Drysdale's call for council review backed by LGNZ
It comes after Drysdale called for 'tough' amalgamation conversations between Bay of Plenty councils. He said the remit passing showed everyone was aware that change was happening in local government. '[We] want to be proactive around designing the system that will work for our people and work for us as local government.' The remit called for a review of current functions and governance arrangements of councils. Councils weren't as efficient and effective as they could be, he said. The sector needed to look at what services should be delivered nationally, regionally, and locally, then design a system that would best deliver those services, Drysdale said. Having a national IT system for all councils and regional roading networks were some ideas the sector could discuss, he said. Mahé Drysdale said councils could have a national IT system for service like rates. Photo / 123rf When talking about efficiency, people 'jump to amalgamation', Drysdale said, but it was only one of the solutions. 'It may not be the solution that comes out of it. We've got to keep a really open mind.' He said he was not trying to 'ram through amalgamation'. 'The intent of this is getting all the local authorities with LGNZ and central government working together to design a system that works for the country.' New Zealand has 78 councils: 11 regional, 11 city, 50 district, and six unitary authorities (regional and city/district combined). Changes to how councils managed water through Local Water Done Well and Resource Management Act (RMA) reform meant the functions of councils was changing, so councils needed to change their form, Drysdale said. LGNZ was in the 'perfect position' to co-ordinate the remit, but buy-in was needed from central Government and the other councils, he said. Plenty of reviews had been done, but action was needed, Drysdale said. 'Let's make sure we've done this thoroughly and we know what the best system is, but then we've actually got to implement it.' Local Government Minister Simon Watts. Photo / Alex Burton Local Government Minister Simon Watts said opportunities for efficiency included working alongside the sector. The new legislation that would replace the RMA included provisions about the roles, responsibilities, and processes of local government, he said. This included proposals that differed from the status quo, Watts said. 'I am keen to look at how the reorganisation process for local government can be made simpler and expect to receive advice on this.' Local Government New Zealand chief executive Susan Freeman-Greene. Photo / Mark Tantrum LGNZ chief executive Susan Freeman-Greene said local government needed to be proactive and lead the changes required. 'The current sector arrangements are a legacy, and do not always reflect how communities have expanded and how modern services are delivered. 'With key Government legislation changes now under way, it'll require an agile and well-planned response by the sector,' she said in a statement. 'It's also important we retain local decision-making in the work we do and the decisions we make, particularly when it comes to the delivery of infrastructure and services for the community.' The LGNZ national council would consider next steps on the remit in the coming months. After the October election, the organisation would engage with councils in a member-driven process, an LGNZ spokesperson said. Outgoing Bay of Plenty Regional Council chairman Doug Leeder said councils needed to be prepared to question their structure and functions. 'The structure of local government hasn't meaningfully changed since 1989. In that time, our communities, demographics, and challenges have changed dramatically,' he said in a statement. 'We need to be brave enough to question how we deliver services and what functions sit best at which level - national, regional, or local.' The remit had the support of metro councils before it was presented to LGNZ. The metro councils would provide support and resources to work on the programme established, the remit said. - LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
1News
3 days ago
- Politics
- 1News
Mackenzie District Mayor Anne Munro steps down as cancer worsens
Mackenzie District Mayor Anne Munro is stepping aside due to her cancer diagnosis. Munro shared the news last year and testing has confirmed the cancer is metastatic. She said while treatment was ongoing, her prognosis remained uncertain, and she had made the decision in the interest of continuity and stable leadership. "Although I've stayed up to date with council business, the work we do is complex and fast-moving. I'm simply not across the level of detail needed to provide the leadership our council and community deserve at this critical time," she said. Munro said the council was navigating a time of significant change — including determining how to implement the Government's Local Water Done Well reforms. ADVERTISEMENT She said she would not be seeking re-election in October. "Given the uncertainty surrounding my health, I cannot fully commit to serving our community in the years ahead," she said. Munro served two terms as a councillor from October 2016, before being elected in 2022. She was diagnosed with cancer shortly before Christmas last year. Deputy Mayor Karen Morgan would continue acting in the role until the election, she said. Munro said Morgan had led with "calm and capable hands" in her absence. Munro thanked the management and staff of the council for their "expertise, dedication, and adaptability". ADVERTISEMENT "Without your efforts, many of us would have no water in our taps, no roads to drive on, and no shared community spaces to enjoy. Few outside the organisation truly appreciate the breadth and complexity of the responsibilities council carries every day," she said. She thanked her fellow elected members for their "time, energy, and unwavering commitment" to the community. "Your insight and shared purpose have helped keep council focused on what matters most," she said. Munro also thanked the residents and ratepayers whose support "meant so much". "Needless to say, this is not where I expected to be, nor how I imagined my time in local government would come to an end. But perhaps it's a reminder that change is life's only constant. We can't always control what comes our way, but we can choose how we respond," she said. "Politics, even at the local level, can at times be divisive. My hope is that, as a community, we continue to meet challenges with open minds, respectful debate focused on the issues not the individuals, and a spirit that celebrates both our differences and the values we share."
