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Mr Lew introduced Mr
Neil Cook, of Wairoa District Council, who was invited to attend the meeting
to answer queries and provide clarification on technical and cost issues for WDC.
Mr Barrett explained
that part of WDC’s appeal on the Opoutama Wastewater Scheme was based on the
costs of maintenance and compliance monitoring for the scheme. One option for
a solution introduced through this paper, is for HBRC to contribute science
staff time to carry out the sampling required under the monitoring condition.
Staff prepared this
approach as a way to achieve the desired outcome for reticulated community
wastewater treatment for an at risk coastal community as opposed to
proceeding through Plan Change provisions.
Concerns in relation
to ‘setting a precedent’ were expressed.
It was queried
whether the costs for this could be recovered/covered through an HBRC targeted
rate.
When queried, Mr Cook
advised that the level of costs associated with the compliance monitoring
were much higher than expected, and would be spread across a small number of households.
Councillors asked for
clarification through further information on the reasonable proportion of
costs that could be attributed to Public Good and therefore collected through
the General Rate, what savings could be achieved via the ‘shared services’
and local government efficiencies approach (sub contract?), whether a
targeted rate could be used by HBRC to recover the monitoring costs from the
wider Wairoa community and specify how communities would ‘qualify’ for this
type of HBRC assistance toward costs.
Motion:
Councillor C Scott
moved a motion, seconded by Councillor K Rose (pro-forma): to leave the
matter to lie on the table in order for staff to provide the additional
information for clarity to Council at the earliest opportunity to enable an
informed decision.
Scott/Rose
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