The decision of Wellington’s politicians to launch an investigation into their own officials over the poor state of the city’s water network is an attempt to hold everyone but themselves accountable, according to the Wellington Chamber of Commerce.

"Yesterday afternoon it emerged 12 out of 15 Wellington City councillors signed-up to a wide-ranging inquiry into Wellington Water’s operations, just hours after the Mayor announced his own taskforce to look into Wellington’s water network," says Chief Executive John Milford.

"Finger pointing by the Council is not good enough. The Council owns the pipes, and it is the councillors who sign off on all funding and investment decisions.

"The Chamber has long been on the record calling for councillors to invest properly in our city’s infrastructure.

"Despite significant year-on-year rates increases, capital expenditure on core infrastructure keeps being delayed and deferred meaning decades of under-funding.

"That’s not the fault of officials. That’s on the politicians.

"It is only with sewerage now flowing into the harbour, that councillors are finally getting serious.

"The taskforce and the inquiry should find out the true health of Wellington’s water network. And it must also find out how the network became so poorly funded by its owners.

"Politicking won’t solve this issue. The city needs its political leaders to act in the best long-term interests of all residents and businesses, and get the sewerage off our streets and out of our harbour."

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