Scrambling for water

dealt with, along with police and ambulance, but vehicle/s not removed. Called back to the scene over ensuing days after passersby phone in a crash that turns out to be an historic event. Called back to the scene again as the vehicle has been torched.

That equates to at least three times that our valued volunteers have been called away from their work or families. If the vehicle’s had been removed in the first instance we would all be happy as Larry.

Common sense must apply, but where to from here? I will be penning a letter to emergency services, territorial authorities, the NZTA and central government with the intent of getting a positive outcome for this issue that, as I have said, continues to bug me.

CR COLIN (TOSS) KITCHEN MNZM

Whatuwhiwhi According to the Far North District Council it is responsible for vehicles abandoned on local roads, while the NZTA is responsible for state highways. — Editor. With drought conditions continuing, the FNDC Governance and Management Group have been operating the Kaitaia water and sewerage systems outside resource consent conditions. This is not an isolated issue, as the Paihia sewerage plant was recently issued an abatement notice and fine of $600,000 by the Northland Regional Council, with overdue upgrades of the Paihia sewerage plant estimated to cost in excess of $6 million.

Council Infrastructure manager indicates the backup Kauri dam will be used for Kaitaia water supply, but this is unlikely, as the water quality from the dam is always poor after a prolonged dry spell, and FNDC recently insulted the Ma¯ ori land owners by foolishly challenging the owners’ integrity over the legal status of the pipeline easement through the Ma¯ ori Land Court.

FNDC had been illegally using the pipeline easement as a full access right of way to the dam. FNDC were forced to use the pipeline as they had failed to maintain the legal right of way formation, as reported recently. Council is currently rushing to rectify this access problem.

It is possible that the current governance group, led by Carter, may now understand why the prior council developed the Sweetwater bore for the Kaitaia water supply after the 2010 drought. The Sweetwater bore had resource consent, bore hole drilled, pumps installed and flows tested back in 2013, only for Carter and his council to call in the SFO to investigate who knows what?

I saw Carter at a function recently and told him he would have to go back to the Sweetwater bore to manage Kaitaia’s water supply into the future. There is one major problem with that; FNDC may hold the resource consent for the Sweetwater bore, however it is my understanding they have no rights of ownership or access, as Carter and councillors appear to have failed to have management complete the paperwork on what prior governance and management had created. Hence the current scramble to find a new water source.

It is time the SFO came back again to investigate where FNDC ratepayers’ money is being spent, in particular the FNDC spending on litigation across the entire FNDC business, and specifically investigate the ratepayer spend on