As a water infrastructure expert, all these problems reflect poor strategic planning; neglect and poor asset management; and underinvestment by successive government (local and federal). The low productivity levels within NZ workforce and economy in particular, the construction industry over many decades add another dimension to the problem.
This is an issue all throughout NZ with successive councils and politicians passing the buck. The current government is doing the same thing now cancelling infrastructure and major projects. So I don’t see this change any time soon.
It should all be on Wellington city records, when those concrete water pipes were laid and their life span and recommended maintenance. It will also be on record how many mayors deferred this crucial maintenance ... shame on them, they know they are responsible
The outlined problem is well defined in this article. The first solution is to levy bottling companies to provide funds to repair water infrastructure. Water often has more value than oil ( both in dlloar terms and for life). OPEC doesn't give away its oil, why do we give away our water.
NZ is far too small to allow each council to have its own pet project(s). It's stupid thinking in the 21st century. Unfortunately, more voters believed Nationals / NZF / ACTs lies about co-governance in regards to 3W. So the voters are the only ones to blame for a lack of working waters infrastructure.
I blame wasteful spending by councils. Art pieces, fancy gardens, wages and neglect. The corruption in council and previous governments is finally coming to a head. Whakatane has just spent millions on council building, courthouse and now they want to waste more on a park that is fine the way it is.
Weak response from Simeon Brown. National should have gone back to the original report commissioned in the wake of the Havelock North incident and provided a fully costed alternative to Labour's solution immediately after the election. They scrapped water entities reform without doing so and now it just looks like they are sweeping the problem under the rug. All they really needed to do was copy Labour's reforms but build all the entities into a ministry which is democratically accountable and exclude the unelected race based elements. It was really only those elements which soured the public view of the reforms.
I have a solution. Cut all unecessary spending in govt, media, consultancy firms, professional meeting attendees, slack councellors and pay actual engineers and the men and woman who can fix these problems. Rate payers who're being fleeced by slack talking heads deserve better.
Central government needs to help small local councils with money and larger councils with legislation. There is no excuse for Wellington's water infrastructure problems as they've had the income. Ancient Roman water infrastructure still works however it was built to last unlike local infrastructure that would have been built as cheap as possible. So it astounding that councillors in major cities can't fathom the idea that every inch of pipe would need to be replaced at least once or twice a century and should have funding priority over pet or vanity projects.
We need to deal with large scale corporate failure and the lack of productivity growth in the country. Councils are a result of a problem going back decades that Central Government has refused to deal with.
Every new build in the country should only be consented if it has tanks for water collection off the roof, urban areas included. You can bury tanks under driveways if there is no yard. wouldn't add too much to a build cost but would take every new house off the stressed infrastructure.
Get away with paying for resource consents and all sorts of consents. That's where alot of money gets wasted and hidden, even stolen/mis managed with admin hoo-hah..
Its not about replacing it, its about growing supply which councils havn't invested in. We have an expanding population, but we don't have expanding storage and water capacity. For one, councils are just not acquiring the land that is required, which ultimately has to come from developments, but because land is only getting more expensive, many large developers will do anything and everything to inflitrate the local councils so they get to keep their land, develop it and the entire community suffers the consequences of infrastructure that is not expanding.
The whole country should just pay for it all to be fixed or replaced. It's a nation wide issue let's get it done. Oh and make all State High Ways two lanes FFS.
So why is the question not asked where the councils are spending there money. Planter boxes and silly other ideas and how much in wages and trios overseas?
time to invest in rainwater catchment systems with basic gravity water filtering capacity in every home affected by this to ease the pressure on the system.
At what point are local councils going to be held accountable to focus on core infrastructure instead of oover priced vanity projects that are not needed
Central government should be putting money in. People from outside the area benefit from water and sewerage in these areas so people from outside the area should also be supporting it. I will not approve of any move to privatise the systems.
The previous councils did a poor job in asset management where they should've done proactive maintenance during the past 20-30 years, not bring it up now when everything is blowing up, however it is typical in the past for people to not bother with water especially when we still have some asbestos pipes from more than 50 years ago
Councils need to take responsibility for wasteful spending over the last 6 years. Should not expect central goverment to bail them out when they want to spend millions of dollars on skateparks, monuments and local iwi settlements.
This is all just a load of shit, say you have 10,000 residents, paying $3000 each, that 30million per year. For just 1 million, you can get hectares of land. How many full time jobs are there in these local councils, i would argue many councils don't need full time staff.
Woke Wellington with no water........everyone else can pay for it? typical . First thing is every property has to have a meter......and every street so you know exactly where the problems are.
Too little investment by local councils. Not central goverments problem. Council failing to introduce water meters encourages people to waste water = $millions down the drain
An the council need to stop putting theses buildings next to sea an rivers an lets not forget the dumps across the country next o beaches an river water ways
Humanure - no water used and wasted, mixing with our waste creating a toxic sludge that cost l this $$ to treat. Humanure when done properly is safe and creates the best compost for your gardens.
What is wrong with NZ - do we not realise that for decades rural communities have been collecting and surviving quite well by collecting their own water! If everyone was to install a rainwater tank on their property the strain on infrastructure would be greatly diminished. At least install one for use around the property if not for human consumption It has been proven that water meters reduce consumption by 1/2, so we are wasteful. Once you're metered, or have to provide for your self you become much better stewards of a precious resource. Time to wake up NZ and stop expecting underfunded councils to provide everything for you. Or don't complain when Rates skyrocket even more, and you're charged 'an arm and a leg' for water in and out of your property
The money that paid for the jab should have been used to replace all water structure across nz probably would of been cheaper an actually more beneficial for the people
Eye-watering costs to upgrade. Councils do not have the financial resources and increasing the rating base will not cover it. Can you blokes not see that. This could be a much bigger story, Campbell is wasted on these soundbites - though at least he's saying something.
Well what the hell have the councils been doing ? Its 100% they're job to monitor and plan maintainance for its local infrastructure. This is pure inept negligence!
Local government ( which National,ACT and NZ First say they know what they are doing) has not go on with job. The MP for Pakuranga and the PM had know idea when they ptomoted their opinions. Labour took on the job. Not perfect answer.
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It's almost like we need a nationwide water commission
Local government authorities are not able and will never be able to handle these issues.
As a water infrastructure expert, all these problems reflect poor strategic planning; neglect and poor asset management; and underinvestment by successive government (local and federal). The low productivity levels within NZ workforce and economy in particular, the construction industry over many decades add another dimension to the problem.
Unfortunately, increasing rates is not a sustainable solution.
It’s not only the water infrastructure.
This is an issue all throughout NZ with successive councils and politicians passing the buck. The current government is doing the same thing now cancelling infrastructure and major projects. So I don’t see this change any time soon.
It should all be on Wellington city records, when those concrete water pipes were laid and their life span and recommended maintenance. It will also be on record how many mayors deferred this crucial maintenance ... shame on them, they know they are responsible
The outlined problem is well defined in this article. The first solution is to levy bottling companies to provide funds to repair water infrastructure. Water often has more value than oil ( both in dlloar terms and for life). OPEC doesn't give away its oil, why do we give away our water.
Just a matter of time before some overseas private company comes along and owns it all
NZ is far too small to allow each council to have its own pet project(s). It's stupid thinking in the 21st century. Unfortunately, more voters believed Nationals / NZF / ACTs lies about co-governance in regards to 3W. So the voters are the only ones to blame for a lack of working waters infrastructure.
I blame wasteful spending by councils. Art pieces, fancy gardens, wages and neglect. The corruption in council and previous governments is finally coming to a head. Whakatane has just spent millions on council building, courthouse and now they want to waste more on a park that is fine the way it is.
Why give more money to councils that have mismanaged this for so long? No consequences or accountability.
Weak response from Simeon Brown. National should have gone back to the original report commissioned in the wake of the Havelock North incident and provided a fully costed alternative to Labour's solution immediately after the election. They scrapped water entities reform without doing so and now it just looks like they are sweeping the problem under the rug.
All they really needed to do was copy Labour's reforms but build all the entities into a ministry which is democratically accountable and exclude the unelected race based elements. It was really only those elements which soured the public view of the reforms.
I have a solution. Cut all unecessary spending in govt, media, consultancy firms, professional meeting attendees, slack councellors and pay actual engineers and the men and woman who can fix these problems. Rate payers who're being fleeced by slack talking heads deserve better.
So where has all the money gone that was taken off the tax payers over all these years to maintain all this..
Central government needs to help small local councils with money and larger councils with legislation.
There is no excuse for Wellington's water infrastructure problems as they've had the income.
Ancient Roman water infrastructure still works however it was built to last unlike local infrastructure that would have been built as cheap as possible.
So it astounding that councillors in major cities can't fathom the idea that every inch of pipe would need to be replaced at least once or twice a century and should have funding priority over pet or vanity projects.
We need to deal with large scale corporate failure and the lack of productivity growth in the country. Councils are a result of a problem going back decades that Central Government has refused to deal with.
Every new build in the country should only be consented if it has tanks for water collection off the roof, urban areas included. You can bury tanks under driveways if there is no yard. wouldn't add too much to a build cost but would take every new house off the stressed infrastructure.
Thank you John, for being our voice. If only someone had come up with a way of spreading the cost...
Who let this get so bad…
Beer is safer,
Council funding other projects as opposed to water infrastructure
Get away with paying for resource consents and all sorts of consents. That's where alot of money gets wasted and hidden, even stolen/mis managed with admin hoo-hah..
Where's all the money that should have been for the maintenance years ago??
As someone who has worked in water treatment and automation this video couldn't have been hit the nail on the head any harder
Its not about replacing it, its about growing supply which councils havn't invested in. We have an expanding population, but we don't have expanding storage and water capacity. For one, councils are just not acquiring the land that is required, which ultimately has to come from developments, but because land is only getting more expensive, many large developers will do anything and everything to inflitrate the local councils so they get to keep their land, develop it and the entire community suffers the consequences of infrastructure that is not expanding.
The whole country should just pay for it all to be fixed or replaced. It's a nation wide issue let's get it done. Oh and make all State High Ways two lanes FFS.
I’m glad I live off grid
If the water treatments are failing then the govt should be stepping in to get it up to scratch not bloody councils.
Unbeleivable
So why is the question not asked where the councils are spending there money. Planter boxes and silly other ideas and how much in wages and trios overseas?
time to invest in rainwater catchment systems with basic gravity water filtering capacity in every home affected by this to ease the pressure on the system.
And how much has been spent on cycle lanes and art installations in the last decade alone? Pretty sure water is more important.
At what point are local councils going to be held accountable to focus on core infrastructure instead of oover priced vanity projects that are not needed
I lived in Wellington for 14 years. Never once saw a burst pipe.
composting toilets make so much sense.
Central government should be putting money in. People from outside the area benefit from water and sewerage in these areas so people from outside the area should also be supporting it. I will not approve of any move to privatise the systems.
If only there was a combined approach to help all of these small councils.... oh yeah, there was that 3 waters approach Labour already had under way!
Bro it’s a yes or no question are you going to put any money into this plan 🤦♂️
Government's water strategy... status quo until it turns to 💩
The previous councils did a poor job in asset management where they should've done proactive maintenance during the past 20-30 years, not bring it up now when everything is blowing up, however it is typical in the past for people to not bother with water especially when we still have some asbestos pipes from more than 50 years ago
Could be lack of skilled labour not just budget
Councils need to take responsibility for wasteful spending over the last 6 years. Should not expect central goverment to bail them out when they want to spend millions of dollars on skateparks, monuments and local iwi settlements.
Maybe they should all focus on replacement of water infrastructure rather than building cycleways and road humps?? Just thought.
New Zealand is in a bad way. With no way out.
This is all just a load of shit, say you have 10,000 residents, paying $3000 each, that 30million per year.
For just 1 million, you can get hectares of land.
How many full time jobs are there in these local councils, i would argue many councils don't need full time staff.
Everyone go to Bottled water now 😔
Auckland is all good.
Kiwis should move to Australia. In WA, they are spending billions on infra atm.
Easy first step would be water metering, then nationally creating a water commission and doing those needed upgrades over time.
What about Whangarei
Woke Wellington with no water........everyone else can pay for it? typical . First thing is every property has to have a meter......and every street so you know exactly where the problems are.
Wellington councils should be looking after the water works instead of building the nice to haves, the cycle ways will not fix everything
Yeah Three Waters work right? Esp in Wellington?
but they all drive round in new utes! council filling their own pockets
Too little investment by local councils. Not central goverments problem.
Council failing to introduce water meters encourages people to waste water = $millions down the drain
An the council need to stop putting theses buildings next to sea an rivers an lets not forget the dumps across the country next o beaches an river water ways
Humanure - no water used and wasted, mixing with our waste creating a toxic sludge that cost l this $$ to treat.
Humanure when done properly is safe and creates the best compost for your gardens.
Wellington loses 45%.
And virtually no one cares.
What is wrong with NZ - do we not realise that for decades rural communities have been collecting and surviving quite well by collecting their own water!
If everyone was to install a rainwater tank on their property the strain on infrastructure would be greatly diminished.
At least install one for use around the property if not for human consumption
It has been proven that water meters reduce consumption by 1/2, so we are wasteful.
Once you're metered, or have to provide for your self you become much better stewards of a precious resource.
Time to wake up NZ and stop expecting underfunded councils to provide everything for you.
Or don't complain when Rates skyrocket even more, and you're charged 'an arm and a leg' for water in and out of your property
The money that paid for the jab should have been used to replace all water structure across nz probably would of been cheaper an actually more beneficial for the people
Eye-watering costs to upgrade. Councils do not have the financial resources and increasing the rating base will not cover it. Can you blokes not see that. This could be a much bigger story, Campbell is wasted on these soundbites - though at least he's saying something.
Well what the hell have the councils been doing ?
Its 100% they're job to monitor and plan maintainance for its local infrastructure.
This is pure inept negligence!
Just make the laws on water quality, waste water, sewage. Let the law drive the change.
Local government ( which National,ACT and NZ First say they know what they are doing) has not go on with job. The MP for Pakuranga and the PM had know idea when they ptomoted their opinions.
Labour took on the job. Not perfect answer.
Tararua council needs to just rate it people to the max. Particularly businesses including farms.
Sell it like Electricity and charge for its supply, thats what Luxcon can do,
Labour put money to assist but MP for Pakuranga would say they will give money . Difference to be noted.
bring back three waters
What did the labour government accomplish exactly? Spent billions and achieved nothing 😅
Instead of seven small water supply projects,the prudent thing to do is a unified water project and pump to network.
So it only wellington isn't.
Thanks to our politicians and policies
Just need to work lile the Chinese and get things done 50 times faster for a fraction of the price.
Nz is a backward country.
Just buy your water at the supermarket
The biggest tax on a nation is the govt itself
Thank you John, for being our voice. If only someone had come up with a way of spreading the cost...