Plea to f ix sewerage problems

An Owhiro Bay resident says her life has ‘‘turned to s...’’ following problems with Wellington’s struggling wastewater system.

Owhiro Bay Residents’ Association member Sue Reid told Wellington city councillors about her plight yesterday, while imploring them to include community representatives in a proposed mayoral taskforce to tackle the city’s water problems.

Councillors eventually moved to include up to four community members and four independent industry experts in the taskforce, which will assess the state of Wellington’s water infrastructure and develop a plan to fix and maintain it.

Reid told councillors that ‘‘stool buses’’ and ‘‘turd taxis’’ – transporting sewage from the Moa Point treatment plant to the Southern Landfill following a pipe break – passed through her suburb every six minutes.

Meanwhile, work was continuing to lay a new pipe near her workplace in Willis St after an underground tunnel collapsed in December. ‘‘My whole life, it seems, has turned to s...’’

The taskforce initially proposed by mayor Andy Foster comprised up to 10 members from the city council, Wellington Water, and iwi mana whenua.

Reid said that move excluded community members from the debate, and the council had misread the mood in Wellington

regarding the ongoing problems.

‘‘We respectfully acknowledge the inclusion of two iwi mana whenua representatives but you will forgive us our cynicism when we note that beyond this, the taskforce is entirely comprised of the very people who have gotten us into the current situation.’’

Council chief executive Barbara McKerrow said she was advised by a senior industry member not to include experts in the taskforce, while community members would be able to communicate with the group during its investigation.

It was important councillors owned the problem in order to set clear lines of accountability, and because they managed the assets, McKerrow said.

‘‘My professional advice would be to think about the risks of putting those community representatives into the taskforce.’’

Foster agreed involving community voices in the group directly could be problematic, given the taskforce’s job was to assess over 3000 kilometres of pipes across the Wellington network.

‘‘To choose people who have focused on one part of the network, however important that is, risks stilting that.’’

Foster also questioned the practicality of a group now involving up to 16 members.

The final proposal approved by councillors, following amendments put forward by councillor Fleur Fitzsimons, resulted in three councillor positions being scrapped, and the addition of up to four independent experts, up to four community representatives appointed by Foster and portfolio leaders, and Wellington Chamber of Commerce chief executive John Milford.

Overall, councillors voted 10-5 to include community members in the investigation.