Auckland drought: Goff says Watercare could have done better
Aucklands mayor has criticised the council-owned water company for a late budget surprise that it needs $224 million for projects to boost water supply in the drought-hit city. The need for funding came after the council began public consultation on its Emergency Budget , re-shaped to accommodate a forecast $525m revenue hit from Covid-19. The budget was finalised on July 16 , upping rates by an average of 3.5 per cent as well as deferring projects and reducing some services, with Watercare forced to find half of its extra needs, itself. Could we have got information earlier from Watercare, the answer is probably Yes, Mayor Phil Goff told Stuff . READ MORE: * Auckland drought: Dam overflows as city keeps up bid to save water * Auckland drought: Terse exchange between Mayor and Watercare * Is Auckland's next water crisis looming? Watercare is accelerating work to bring on additional water supply , after a severe drought has left the citys storage lakes at 58.2 per cent full, compared to normal levels of about 83 per cent, and restrictions likely to last a year . Goffs comments underline tension between the council, and its subsidiary which under the law that amalgamated Aucklands eight councils in 2010 operates semi-autonomously on a day-by-day basis. I dont think it was wise for Watercare to keep council at arms length as it did, and we are repairing that situation, said Goff. Goff in his second term as mayor appointed councillors to attend the board meetings of each of the five council-controlled organisations (CCOs), with Waitakere wards Linda Cooper watching Watercare. Most particularly with this impending crisis I have been dealing with them on a day-to-day basis, thats the way the relationship should be, and the way the relationship will be for the future, he said. Nearly 40 per cent of Aucklands water supply is currently coming from the Waikato River, and by the end of August it hopes to be able to boost the daily take to 175 million litres, and to 225 million by mid-2021. Watercare is also upgrading treatment plants to bring back on-stream the Hickeys Spring bore in Pukekohe, and the Hays Creek dam near Papakura. Goff has conceded the council itself should have played a bigger role in deciding the future use of the regions water. I dont think councils focus on strategy on water delivery was as strong as it should be, and we are tackling that problem now, he said. The development of a council water strategy has been lagging, and councillors including Chris Darby and Wayne Walker have called for it to become more of a priority. Watercare declined to respond to the mayors comments, but said that it funds all its needs itself. However, the additional debt that Watercare takes on for capital spending, counts as council debt, limiting how much extra the council can borrow for projects of its own or for transport. An independent review panel has looked at how effectively the council has overseen its CCOs, which include Auckland Transport, Panuku Development, ATEED, and Regional Facilities Auckland. The panels final report is with the council, and could foreshadow whether changes are needed to improve the accountability of the CCOs, and how the politicians monitor their work.