Lower Hutt mayor to head Wellington Water committee
The Wellington Water committee has a new chairman after Lower Hutt Mayor Campbell Barry was appointed to the role yesterday.
He enters the role at a time when the region’s water infrastructure has been crumbling beneath the streets. Last week, it was revealed that more than 50 complaints a day were being made about infrastructure in Wellington alone.
‘‘I’m under no illusions of the scale of challenges to our water infrastructure,’’ Barry told the committee.
Barry was appointed unopposed and takes over following the resignation of Hutt City councillor David Bassett from the role. Bassett had been the chairman since the committee’s inception in 2014.
With central government reforms set to drastically change the delivery of three waters services, Bassett stepped down in March, saying he was nearing retirement and it made sense to hand over the reins to someone who would see the service into a new era.
The council-controlled company manages wastewater, drinking water and stormwater services for Wellington City, Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt, Porirua and the South Wairarapa District. Those areas’ councils, as well as the Greater Wellington Regional Council, jointly own Wellington Water and each has a representative on its committee.
Barry said one of his focuses as mayor was to deliver the basics and that would remain true of his new role. While councils were putting more funding aside for water services, they also needed a plan. ‘‘Money in the budget line won’t fix leaks. We need to be focused on building a workforce and positioning ourselves for Three Waters reforms.’’
Barry acknowledged water services were going through ‘‘massive change’’ and his experience of Lower Hutt’s pipes was that they were ageing, under pressure from a growing population, and suffering from a history of underinvestment. The same could be said for other parts of the region, he said.
While Hutt City Council needs $1.3 billion to future-proof its pipes, Porirua City Council is facing a $1.8b bill for its pipe network over the next 30 years.
Estimates suggest the Wellington City Council will have to dig even deeper – as much as $5b in new spending is needed to clear the backlog of existing issues and prepare for growth.
On Barry’s appointment, Upper Hutt Mayor Wayne Guppy, who is on the committee, said Hutt City had been a driver for water reform, and it was appropriate Barry was taking over.
Guppy said he was glad to have another of the region’s mayors on the committee.