FAQs
How will this work be funded?
It depends on what we decide to do. The cost of the investigation and the water pipes will be debt funded. If the Three Waters reform goes ahead this debit will be transferred to the proposed new entity. If the reform does not go ahead, we will need to cover the debit repayments.
If we look at an option that combines the waterpipes with a bridge, we may be able to get funding through Waka Kotahi’s Active Travel programme. This funding pool is focused on building transport network resilience and encouraging more people to walk, scoot or cycle instead of using a car if they can. Bridge locations that connect people to key places, like work and school, are more likely to receive Waka Kotahi funding than others. While we have funding certainty for the Surrey Street bridge location, we would need to apply for Waka Kotahi funding at other bridge locations and there are no guarantees at this stage.
Is the current water supply to West Gore substandard? Is there a health risk?
While the Hilbre Avenue Water Treatment Plant has historically been able to reliably supply safe drinking water to residents of West Gore, it is very old and does not meet the New Zealand Drinking Water Standards. Since the Havelock North incident, where thousands of people became ill, there has been increasing pressure on Councils to ensure their water supplies comply with these standards.
We did consider upgrading the existing Hilbre Avenue Water Treatment Plant. However, this was ruled out for a number of reasons including space constraints at the existing site, higher long-term operational costs and treatment benefits associated with mixing our two water sources.
This is critical work. Can't it be fast tracked?
Once we hear from the community and stakeholders and decide on a way forward, we expect the technical investigations will take a few months. We expect laying the pipelines under the river to take between 12 – 18 months. If we go for a bridge option, this could take at least two years to complete.
Why are you re-looking at the Surrey Street options after the court decision?
While resource consents for the project received approval, an appeal to the Environment Court was upheld because of the visual impacts of the bridge, and more information was needed on other options.
This previous option was a single-span bridge with a 32-metre-high mast while the new option is a multi-span bridge, which could reduce the impacts on nearby residents.
This location is just one of many the report highlighted and did rank highly. We think it's important to include it to see what the community thinks.
We know the Surrey Street option will provide a good walking and cycling connection and Waka Kotahi has indicated they would help fund a bridge at this location.
The Council has probably already decided how this will be done. Why ask us?
Your feedback matters to us. We know we didn’t get it right last time. We are not going to invest further money in investigating options until we have a steer from mana whenua, stakeholders and the community on what their preferred approach is. We will close the loop with you, so you know how your feedback has been used to help us make a decision.