Brian Cook

Is Whakatāne District Council’s $6.8 million Hinemoa Street stormwater upgrade value for money or merely a white elephant?

Heavy overnight rain on July 11 and 12 flooded the rear of my property to a depth of 800mm: this level of water knocked out the external unit to my heat pump.

On July 14, 15 and 16, I made telephone contact with the Whakatāne District Council requesting a call back from someone in the water department to explain what had happened with the new stormwater pump, so I could advise my insurance company.

No reply. Late on July 16, I sent an email to Aimee Thumath, project manager Three Waters – she responded immediately: “The new pump station did not fail, as it is not yet complete or operational”. Utterly staggering news.

On July 19, I wrote to chief executive Steven Perdia asking the “anticipated date for the New Pump Station to become operational”. To date (August 5), I have not received a reply to my letter.

I have made contact with Dana Kirkpatrick, seeking help to obtain an answer to my question.

Latest answer, it could take up to a month for council to reply – gosh they must be very busy people.

Perhaps a parallel universe exists in parts of Commerce Street, where it is the norm to treat an elderly ratepayer with total disdain.

Brian Cook

• Whakatāne District Council’s Three Waters manager Jim Finlay, responds:
  The Hinemoa Street stormwater upgrade is a major project to improve flood resilience. While the pump station structure is mostly complete, work has been delayed due to concerns about the concrete quality in the roof slab housing the pumps and steel pipework.
  
  Whakatāne District Council is working with the contractor and specialist engineers to replace the affected section and ensure long-term performance.
  
  Once agreement is reached on the remedial works, the contractor will provide a repair programme, which will guide the timeline for completion and commissioning.
  
  Other parts of the project are progressing, including pipe lining, wing wall replacement at the river outlet, and installation of a fish-friendly flap gate.
  
  In the meantime, one new pump has been temporarily installed to help mitigate flooding.
  
  We acknowledge the frustration expressed and apologise for delays in individual communication during recent storms.
  
  The council manages information requests under legislation, which allows time to compile responses. We’re committed to improving communication, and a project update letter was delivered to residents on Wednesday, 6 August.
  
  If residents are concerned about flooding or local works, they can contact Customer Services 24/7 on 07 306 0500, or email [email protected] for non-urgent matters.