Don’t panic - Mayor
Don't panic - Mayor
12 May 2017
Waipa District Council has put a team in place to work through complex issues about water meters and some cross-lease properties in the district.
Earlier this month the Council advised some property owners that, because their water connection was shared, the Council might be unable to provide them with a separate water meter. If that was the case, the Council proposed installing one meter with the costs of water split evenly between all properties.
The issue has the potential to impact about 1,000 older cross-lease properties in the district. Not all cross-lease properties are affected. A rule change means cross-lease properties can no longer be built with shared water connections.
Mayor Jim Mylchreest said the suggestion of splitting costs evenly has caused genuine concern for some people and he understood why.
I can understand why some people would be really anxious about it - I don't think that's an unreasonable reaction. The fact is, we'd prefer that every single property in Waipa had its own meter and most people feel exactly the same. But it looks like in some instances, that might not be technically possible.
Mylchreest had asked staff to hold off moving to a split cost solution and instead put a team in place to work through issues on a property-by-property basis.
That had now been done he said, and over coming months' staff would be in contact with individual householders if more information about their specific property was needed.
At the same time the Council had asked for other potential solutions to be costed up and presented to Council for consideration.
The message to cross-lease property owners and tenants is don't panic'. We've heard your concerns and taken them on board. Now's let's work through the issues and see if other solutions might be possible, and if so what the cost of those solutions might be.
Property owners wishing to discuss this issue should call 0800 924 723 or email water.meters@waipadc.govt.nz.
Media enquiries only: contact Jeanette Tyrrell 027 5077 599