Whangarei Mayor Sheryl Mai says the local authorities of Northland have worked together for a long time on the best way to manage the three waters in their respective communities.

“Whangarei has a robust water supply system and good infrastructure as this year’s results have shown. Over the past 18 months, the driest in recorded history in Auckland and Northland, our Council has been able to continue to provide water to our people and to support our neighbouring districts. We had the inconvenience of water restrictions for a while but have come through in pretty good shape. Over the coming year our new water treatment plant at Whau Valley will be completed, and our Wairua River connection will add the equivalent of another dam’s water supply to our system next year.

“Good long-term forecasting, planning, budgeting and implementation has been sustained over generations, giving us a depth of experience that has provided results I am sure many would have envied this year.

“This approach has extended to wastewater management, with significant investment in our District’s wastewater network over the past two decades and environmental improvements to our harbour becoming increasingly evident. Managing the third of the three waters, stormwater, will increasingly become the focus of our efforts in coming years.”

Mayor Mai said Northland’s Councils had long been discussing a joint approach to the three waters.

“We understand concerns generated by the Havelock North inquiry and this year’s drought and we welcome Government’s focus on this core infrastructure. Northland Councils are keen to continue working together, and given Watercare’s scenario this year, we would resist being forced to look at the option of joining with an authority that has very different conditions and challenges to those our region faces.”

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