Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown has thanked the chairperson of Watercare, Margaret Devlin, for her quick response to three matters he raised with her last week.
To help keep water costs down for Aucklanders, Mr Brown asked Watercare to cease all work on the Government’s Three Waters programme, and sought assurances about head office costs and the Central Interceptor project.
Ms Devlin has assured the mayor that costs associated with the Three Waters proposal are being met by central government. The mayor plans to raise wider issues around the Three Waters proposal with Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta when he and senior council officers meet with her tomorrow.
Ms Devlin confirmed her board and management share the mayor’s concerns around cost-of-living pressures on Aucklanders and that Watercare is keeping costs at minimum levels, as required by law.
“To deliver sustainable efficiency,” she wrote, “[Watercare is] reviewing what we do and how we do it, to ensure we will provide the agreed level of service to Aucklanders over the long term, while reducing our controllable costs.”
On the Central Interceptor, Ms Devlin assured the mayor that the project’s financial performance remains on track despite the timeline being shifted out to June 2026 due to the impact of COVID-19.
She wrote that a further update would be provided to the council next week and that she would advise the mayor directly if there are any further changes to the delivery of the project.
“I am very grateful for the assurances that Watercare has given me on these matters,” the mayor said. “As Aucklanders sail towards an economic and fiscal storm that will see home mortgage rates triple, the council and its agencies must do everything to keep rates, water charges and other costs low.”
Read the full letter from Chair Margaret Devlin to Mayor Wayne Brown here.
