Source: Radio New Zealand
Anna Valentine has been one of those affected by Kāeo’s water drama. RNZ / Peter de Graaf
A resident of a Far North town says it was “about time” the water watchdog stepped in, after being under a boil notice for more than 10 years.
Kāeo’s water supply has been under the management of private companies for 25 years, after it was sold by the Far North District Council.
Since then, a decade-long boil water notice has been in place, the water supply owner has been trespassed from the treatment plant and water hasn’t been running for the past month.
Now, for the first time, the water services authority – Taumata Arowai – has placed the town’s supply under statutory management and appointed the council to take care of it.
Local resident Anna Valentine told RNZ it was about time the community had change.
“It’s a relief for sure, but it seems like a lot of effort has gone in to get somebody to take notice of it.”
Valentine said getting information out of the private water company about their issues had been difficult.
“It has been like living under that Mad Max character that is like the lord of the water, and has turned it on and off at whim.”
She wanted accountability for what the town had gone through.
“What’s happened to all the money the town’s paid to the supplier, if he couldn’t even put a filter in or maintain the plant? That seems to have not happened, because the boil-water notice never got taken off.”
Taumata Arowai operations head Steve Taylor said the issues were unacceptable and went on for too long.
He said the Far North District Council would now need to consider how it managed the water, both short and long term.
Te Runanga o Whaingaroa pou arahi Rainera Kaio said his iwi organisation would like to be part of that work.
“We’re keen to work alongside Far North District Council to co-design something.
“Whether that looks like – a joint model situation or whether we look to other members of the community, or other contractors in the community that could take this on.”
Far North District Council was approached for comment.
Wai Care Environmental Consultants declined to comment, beyond saying it supported Taumata Arowai’s statement.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
