Rongotea residents debate water plan

Rongotea residents will now have to fork out more than $2100 each, $300 more than first expected, for a town water supply.

About 150 residents, Manawatu District Council staff, councillors and mayor Ian McKelvie were at the public forum last night, to discuss a possible town reticulated water system.

Rongotea is one of the largest towns in New Zealand without a town water supply. A Health Ministry healthy-water programme has granted Manawatu District Council an 80 per cent subsidy to build a water supply for Rongotea, but many residents are not happy with the costs involved.

Last month, the council told residents that the project would cost $1800 for each of the 273 households in Rongotea.

Manawatu District Council water manager Wayne Spencer said the initial cost was GST exclusive, and the exact cost for the project was still unknown.

"This is an engineers' estimate, but we have chosen the most conservative price," he said.

Debate at the forum was contentious, with varied feelings among community members. The main concern was the cost involved.

One resident said it would be all her savings gone if it went through. "I don't want to be in debt to the council or pay high interest rates on top of that."

Manawatu District Council water manager Wayne Spencer assured residents that it would be worth the money. He said the value of each property would increase by $10,620, for only a $2124 spend.

However, each resident will require more than the $2124 set-up fee to run a water system to their house. Mr Spencer said the costing was only to run the system to the boundary, and not to their sinks.

"There will be more costs involved once the system is in place."

Resident Brian Thatcher said other options should have been presented.

"It's a ridiculous amount of money to be spending when you could just fit every house with a filter and have everyone's tanks inspected each year, if it's all about having pure water," said Mr Thatcher.

Yet Mr Spencer said funding was not available for this option.

Murray Matthews and 10 others left the meeting halfway through.

He said he left because council had already made their decision.

"There is no way council would go through this consultancy stage and spend thousands of dollars if it wasn't going to go ahead," he said.

"They're going to do it whether we like it or not. I left Palmerston North to escape the bureaucracy."

The question of water-meter charging was raised. Mr Spencer said this could be a possibility.

Residents in favour of the system see the project as a stepping stone for the future of Rongotea.

One resident said he wanted to make sure there were good facilities in the future, so that his children, grandchildren and their families had the best possible life.

Mr Spencer said if a resident chose not to connect up to the system, but the community chose to go ahead with the project, it would still cost the household $1062 – half of the full cost.

In February there will be a community referendum to gauge the community's commitment, or otherwise, to the project.

The mayor said that in the event of a tie in votes, councillors would make the final decision.

If the project goes ahead, the council expects to have it completed by August 2011.The Health Ministry's drinking-water assistance programme provides funding for poorer communities that require better quality drinking water.

- © Fairfax NZ News