Gastro outbreak cost $21m
The gastro outbreak in Havelock North last August cost a total of $21 million to resolve, of which residents picked up a bill of about $12m.
A new report, on behalf of the Ministry of Health, found the cost per household was about $2440, most of which came from boiling water or buying bottled water, or money lost through time off work. The outbreak made about 5500 residents ill with campylobacteriosis.
The Sapere Research Group found that, altogether, the outbreak cost $21m across local government, businesses, central government, NGOs, the health sector, and residents.
Local government was estimated to have incurred $4m, while it cost central government only about $500,000. The cost to local business was estimated at $1.3m.
The report said the illness meant households could not go about normal daily life because of the lack of a safe drinking water supply.
It impacted how food was washed, prepared and cooked, meant people had more laundry to do, and made bathing an issue. General cleaning became a problem, and getting fresh water, including the time and transport used in doing so, was an added cost.
The report also considered the impact of stress and other mental health factors, the illness itself hitting people, or people having to stay at home and look after sick children, or children unable to go to preschool or school because they were closed.
Havelock North resident Fiona Hosford, whose daughter was hit by the illness last year, said she was not surprised by the estimated cost each household affected by the illness had had to bear.
It was likely some households had spent more, and some less. Her family had decided to spend extra money installing a water filter, as her children were reacting to the chlorine in the water supply, and she was not convinced chlorination was enough to make water safe for drinking.
‘‘That was a big outlay, but it was either we spend the money in a lump sum on a water filter or spend the money on eczema treatment.’’
Hosford said any redress to residents would come from ratepayers, so it was a tricky situation.
Newly elected Tukituki MP and former Hastings mayor Lawrence Yule said the government view was that it had given $1m to the Hawke’s Bay District Health Board and $100,000 to Havelock North’s community to help cover the costs in the business community.
It was not really involved in the crisis, and the cost on the community was one it and local authorities should be wearing, more than the Crown.
However, if the councils involved made a contribution to families, it would be coming from other ratepayers.
‘‘It’s a hard one ... bearing in mind no one entity was found to have caused it, there’s no strict liability issues,’’ Yule said.
Hastings District Council chief executive said the report was a useful economic exercise.
The council was investing in new water infrastructure to make sure the water supply was safe and sustainable.
It had approved $12m for this and further funding was likely in the long-term plan.