District council to chlorinate water
The coronavirus pandemic has prompted Tasman District Council to chlorinate its drinking water for Richmond and continue chlorination for the RiwakaKaiteriteri supply.
Richmond ward councillor Dana Wensley said the move was a preventive measure in light of the potential health threat from Covid-19. ‘‘We don’t want to have two issues at once,’’ Wensley said, pointing out there was no suggestion Covid-19 itself was waterborne or in any water supply.
‘‘Chlorinating the water is a simple step we can take to eliminate one element of risk to the health of our community at this uncertain time,’’ Wensley said.
‘‘It is a precautionary approach but if we were to experience any contamination issues leading to a water-borne illness outbreak coinciding with Covid19, there is potential for significant harm to our community, especially those most vulnerable such as older residents or those with existing health issues, and for health services to be overwhelmed.’’
Both water supplies had incidents of contamination in recent years. Contamination was a risk mainly due to difficulties keeping the reservoirs secure.
Council engineering services manager Richard Kirby said chlorine was to be added to the Richmond water supply from Friday. For the RiwakaKaiteriteri supply, a summer chlorination programme that was due to finish at the end of March would carry on. Chlorination of both supplies would continue for the foreseeable future, Kirby said.
‘‘We do not want people sick from contaminated water while Covid-19 is about.’’
Meanwhile, Tasman District Council has no plans to follow Marlborough District Council and consider ‘‘freezing’’ its planned rates rise.
Marlborough mayor John Leggett said that in a discussion with deputy mayor Nadine Taylor, planning, finance and community committee chairman Mark Peters along with the chief executive and chief financial officer, ‘‘it was agreed we should consider freezing our rates rise this year to no higher than Local Government Cost Index level of 2.2 per cent, rather than the 4.86 per cent we indicated on February 27’’.
Leggett said he expected the plan would find favour with all councillors as the council moved through its annual plan process.
NZ Taxpayers’ Union on Friday launched a campaign calling for every council to freeze rates until at least April 2021.
However, Tasman District Council community relations manager Chris Choat said the Tasman council intended to continue with its proposed rates rise of 2.97 per cent for 2020-21.
There were also no plans – at this time – to follow Auckland Council and close libraries or other community facilities.
In response to the pandemic, the Tasman council was focused on delivering essential services.
‘‘We do recognise this is a rapidly evolving situation,’’ Choat said. ‘‘We are keeping a very close eye on what that may bring.’’
At this stage, council meetings would still be held in person, though some ‘‘social distancing’’ measures would be put in place.
Councillors might not sit as close to one another as usual and restrictions might be placed on the number of people allowed into the council chamber.
Other changes might be brought in ‘‘if the situation changes’’, Choat said.
Key information: Sign up to get Stuff’s daily coronavirus situation report email newsletter. It’s a quick summary of the essential updates from New Zealand and around the world on Covid-19.