Council divided over water meter ultimatum
As the region heads into a dry El Niño summer with a high chance of water shortages, Wellington City councillors are divided over whether water meters are the way forward.
The council is already facing tough decisions as it slashes capital spending for its upcoming 2024-2034 Long-Term Plan, and water meters are estimated to add $140 million to that cost.
Greater Wellington chairperson Daran Ponter issued an ultimatum in a letter earlier in the week, saying that the regional council would consider a higher charge for water supply if they did not see plans for water meters by January 31.
The ultimatum has been controversial – with councillor Diane Calvert accusing him of “bully boy” tactics and Ray Chung suggesting he was getting “too big for his pants”.
Calvert agreed with water metering but said Ponter’s letter was unhelpful and inappropriate, “especially after the region’s councils supported Greater Wellington over the past few years through their bustastrophe”.
Ponter questioned how else he was meant to deliver a wake-up call to Porirua and Wellington, for whom the water supply was “out of sight, out of mind”.
People in the city didn’t see the increasing toxic algae and decreasing biodiversity in Te Awa Kairangi (the Hutt River), which were the result of taking increasing amounts of water.
“We are the water regulator and we do have a role, and it’s not to mindlessly keep providing water without questioning.”
A straw poll from The Post showed that around the Wellington City Council table there were mixed views on water metering, even between councillors who were often aligned.
The region needed water metering to help with leaks but also to charge households for their usage, Calvert said. She believed it was only fair to charge for water.
“If you want your garden green or to fill the swimming pool you can do so but now you will pay for it rather than it being subsidised by others.”
Water meters were essential, said Nicola Young, who already has a meter installed on her own property. “A reliable water supply is far more important than, for example, cycleways,” she said.
Wellington remained an outlier among most major New Zealand cities which require water meters – Auckland, Christchurch, and Tauranga already have meters installed on residential properties.
Mayor Tory Whanau earlier said, in response to Ponter’s ultimatum, that the council was looking at funding a business case for water metering before including it in the Long-Term Plan.
Ben McNulty said he was surprised to see Whanau’s comments given councillors had not agreed on a collective position for water meters.
He supported the meters even though they were not a perfect solution.
“I have equity concerns around metering but, given our water infrastructure is in crisis, ultimately we need to pull every lever possible to increase supply, reduce demand and stop leaks. Metering is part of that mix.”
Those opposed to water meters had a mix of concerns – for Iona Pannett the problem was potential privatisation of water. She was concerned that although meters would encourage conservation, charging for household use through meters would be “ripe for takeover” by a private company.
The real priority should be on encouraging conservation measures like rainwater tanks and encouraging a “conservation ethic”.
“We have to treat water as the precious resource it is.”
Ray Chung said water meters were not the answer to the problem with broken pipes. If leaks were within private property boundaries, the owners would know without a water meter telling them.
“Wellington Water knows where the leaks are but they just don’t repair them,” Chung said. “I’m not happy with the Wellington Water business model and the responsibility for this work should be brought back in-house.”
If the leaks losing 44% of the city’s water supply were repaired, there would be no need for metering, he said.
“If you want your garden green or to fill the swimming pool you can do so but now you will pay for it rather than it being subsidised by others.” Diane Calvert Wellington City councillor