In catchment water solution preferred says Mayor

Well established and articulated policy is guiding Council in its search to secure a long-term water supply for Waikanae, Paraparaumu and Raumati residents, says Mayor Jenny Rowan.

“Questions have been raised about why Council is not looking to take water direct from the Otaki River to supply residents in Waikanae, Paraparaumu and Raumati.

“The answer is simple. Our preference is to look for in-catchment solutions. This is based on the 50 year water strategy set in 2003. Considerable public debate and consultation underpins that strategy.”

The Otaki Community had also made clear that it was against water being taken from the Otaki River by pipe to another catchment area. “They made this clear some years ago, and again recently; not just iwi, but the Community Board and the community itself.

“We have very real time constraints with this issue. We have to have a more secure water supply in place by 2015, given current growth and water use projections for the Waikanae, Paraparaumu and Raumati areas.

“We have already been down the Otaki River option and lost. We simply don’t have the luxury of time (and for that matter money) to tackle this one again.”

Council has not completely ruled out the Otaki River option. “We have made clear our priority is to look at six in-catchment options. This sits with Council’s well established and articulated policy. We also said we needed to check again with the Otaki community on where they now stood.

“They have made it very clear to us in recent times that they are against any suggestion of piping Otaki River water to another catchment.”

Early figures suggested a 17 kilometre pipeline from Otaki might cost around $8 million. Last year this was updated to $14 million. The cost of land purchase and costs associated with seeking the necessary consents for a pipeline was likely to push this to at least $19 million.