Your Questions Answered - Rates will help update infrastructure

 

Our District suffered in the rain and storm events of two weeks ago. Grazing pasture was soaked, some being under water for ten days. Power went out for pe-riods affecting several thousand homes.

The Far North was hardest hit. Local and central government monitored events both directly and through a Northland Civil Defence Emergency Management Group office. Towns like Moerewa were flooded, and the Paihia water supply broke down.

In the Whangarei District, some 5,000 hectares of the Hikurangi Swamp area was flooded. Releasing this water quickly to relieve the farmers of this area would likely have an impact further down the catchment.

State Highway 1 was closed near Tow-ai. A temporary fix has been constructed. To keep a route open to the Far North, a local road (Mangakahia) was substituted as a link for a few days until instabil-ity issues forced closure of this road. State Highway 12 was then used to fill the gap. This road, which passes through Kaipara, needs investment – too much of it is showing signs of fatigue and failure.

Emergencies like this illustrate the importance of the three local authorities and the Regional Council working together. We need to be able to cope better with extreme weather events; we need a road network that is resilient; and the maintenance on our net-work, including our State Highways, needs to be lifted.

Poor roading infrastructure holds back economic development. We salute those in emergency services who braved weather to undertake their duties, the linesmen who worked long shifts to restore power, and we regret the distress and loss of life that this event brought with it.

What role does your Council play in such emergencies?
Civil Defence emergencies need management. Ministers of the Crown and their agen-cies and Councils all have a role to play. During this emergency we all worked together well. Kaipara Council staff and contractors assisted with the management of Kaipara’s drainage, stormwater and road networks; they monitored and responded to emergency calls and concerns; and at a governance level we were involved in telephone briefings with the Crown and the Mayors and Chairs of Northland’s Councils.

While the Kaipara District Council performs these roles well, we know that we can better cope with extreme weather events when our infrastructure is in good condition. Deferring capital works and maintenance of roads exposes them to failure. Stormwater drains need to be free of debris, to cope with storm events. The drainage network also needs to be in good condition.

We have deferred cap-ital works on some of our roading network over the past twelve months, a decision driven by the level of rates that were being withheld. At the end of June, many of those withholding rates decided to bring them up to date. That was appreciated. Our roads will benefit. Your rates will be released to invest in Kaipara’s roading network.

The latest with the MRRA and litigation 
Last Friday, the Court held a further half-day hearing. Why? The Mangawhai Ratepayers and Residents Association (MRRA) is now seeking to injunct (prevent) the Council from collect-ing rates relating to the Mangawhai Community Wastewater Scheme until the Court of Appeal hears its appeal against the earlier High Court decision.

We encourage the MRRA executive to bring an end to the litigation. No one is a winner from this action. Council, thus ratepayers, ends up paying the costs. Far better that Council invests this money in keeping its roads in good condition than legal fees.

With Kaipara Commissioner
John Robertson

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