The Cost of maintaing the Te Kopuru Sewerage Scheme
Edward Wedgwood made this Official Information request to Kaipara District Council
The request was successful.
From: Edward Wedgwood
Dear Kaipara District Council,
Could the council please tell me what has been happening to the money Te Kopuru residents have been paying for their gravity fed sewerage scheme since it inception over 30 years ago.
Is the money in a separate account to cover depreciation, maintenance and any repairs that may be needed?
What is the annual cost of the above?
What is the cost each year to de sludge the ponds?
Why after paying $thousands each year for 30 or so years to the council the scheme should be well in credit so WHY do the residents have to pay again for a scheme more than paid for?
Why not use the money that should have been set aside to cover any improvements.
Yours faithfully,
Edward Wedgwood
Walker Terrace
Te Kopuru
Kaipara District Council
Hello
Thank you for contacting the Kaipara District Council regarding: Official
Information Act request - The Cost of maintaing the Te Kopuru Sewerage
Scheme. This is an automated response confirming your email has been
received and will be responded to as soon as possible within 5 working
days. Council is required to process all LIMs within 10 working days and
Resource / Building Consents within 20 working days of date of application
being accepted by Council.
Kind regards
Customer Services
Kaipara District Council
Private Bag 1001
Dargaville 0340
Dargaville Office: 42 Hokianga Road, Dargaville 0310
Mangawhai Office: Unit 6, The Hub, 6 Molesworth Drive, Mangawhai 0505
P: 0800 727 059
E: [Kaipara District Council request email]
W: [1]www.kaipara.govt.nz
References
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1. http://www.kaipara.govt.nz/
From: Council
Kaipara District Council
Hello Edward
Thank you for your request received 04 April 2014.
Pursuant to the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987, you will receive a reply within twenty working days of Council receiving your request.
Meanwhile should you require any further assistance please feel free to contact our Customer Service Centre on 09 439 3123 or 0800 727 059.
Regards
Sue Downey
Customer Services
Kaipara District Council
Private Bag 1001
Dargaville 0340
Dargaville Office: 42 Hokianga Road, Dargaville 0310
Mangawhai Office: Unit 6, The Hub, 6 Molesworth Drive, Mangawhai 0505
P: 0800 727 059
E: [Kaipara District Council request email]
W: www.kaipara.govt.nz
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From: Council
Kaipara District Council
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Hello Edward
Thank you for your request for information relating to the Te Kopuru
Wastewater Scheme under the Local Government Official Information and
Meetings Act 1987.
Please find attached a spreadsheet outlining the costs from 2009 to 2013.
I appreciate this is likely to not be all of the information you require
and as a result of the recent public meetings in Te Kopuru, Council is in
the process of obtaining detailed individual costs where possible for the
capital costs relating to the Te Kopuru Wastewater Scheme. We hope to
have this information available by 16 May 2014.
Therefore under section 14(1)(a) of the Local Government Official
Information and Meetings Act 1987 the timeframe for this information has
been extended to 16 May 2014.
I apologise for advising of this extension however Council feels it is
important to be able to advise the Te Kopuru community the correct
information and in order to do this extensive research will be required.
Should you require any further assistance please feel free to contact me.
Kind regards
Linda
[1]Kaipara_HOR_WhBG.jpg
Linda Osborne
Customer Relations Project Manager
Kaipara District Council
Private Bag 1001
Dargaville
P: 09 439 3123
W:[2]www.kaipara.govt.nz
show quoted sections
From: Edward Wedgwood
Dear Council,
I already have the spreadsheet showing costs from 2009 to 2013 and they just don't add up to Te Kopuru residents having to pay again for an already paid for system.
Commissioners need to go back to when the system was first put in place and find out where all the money that residents have paid over 33 years has been spent.
(FYI. Sewerage rate with the HCC in 1983 was $210)
Look forward to councils reply and explanation as to why in the past they say there has been a lack of maintenance and the system now needs to be upgraded. Why lack of maintenance in the past?? Money is paid by residents for that every year.
Yours sincerely,
Edward Wedgwood
Kaipara District Council
Hello
Thank you for contacting the Kaipara District Council regarding: Re: FW:
Official Information Act request - The Cost of maintaining the Te Kopuru
Sewerage Scheme. This is an automated response confirming your email has
been received and will be responded to as soon as possible within 5
working days. Council is required to process all LIMs within 10 working
days and Resource / Building Consents within 20 working days of date of
application being accepted by Council.
Kind regards
Customer Services
Kaipara District Council
Private Bag 1001
Dargaville 0340
Dargaville Office: 42 Hokianga Road, Dargaville 0310
Mangawhai Office: Unit 6, The Hub, 6 Molesworth Drive, Mangawhai 0505
P: 0800 727 059
E: [Kaipara District Council request email]
W: [1]www.kaipara.govt.nz
References
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1. http://www.kaipara.govt.nz/
Kaipara District Council
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Subject: Re: FW: Official Information Act request - The Cost of
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From: Council
Kaipara District Council
Hello Edward
Thank you for your email.
I have forwarded your response to Linda Osborne who is dealing with your query.
If you require any further assistance please email us or phone 0800 727 059 Monday to Friday 8 am to 5 pm.
Kind regards
Fay Fergus
Customer Services
Kaipara District Council
Private Bag 1001
Dargaville 0340
Dargaville Office: 42 Hokianga Road, Dargaville 0310
Mangawhai Office: Unit 6, The Hub, 6 Molesworth Drive, Mangawhai 0505
P: 0800 727 059
E: [Kaipara District Council request email]
W: www.kaipara.govt.nz
show quoted sections
From: Council
Kaipara District Council
Hello Edward
Thank you for your further email and request for information under the
Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987.
The Te Kopuru residents pay towards the capital and operating costs of
operating the scheme.
Please find attached a breakdown of the annual operating costs for the Te
Kopuru Wastewater Scheme from 2008-2013. A breakdown of Council’s
accounting records does not go back thirty years.
Money is not in a separate account to cover depreciation, maintenance and
repairs. The annual targeted rates collects money to pay for the operating
costs (eg depreciation, maintenance and repairs) as required, as well as a
portion of the capital costs.
The Scheme has been maintained according to the maintenance contract that
currently is undertaken by Downers. There will always be on-going costs
to maintain and operate a wastewater scheme. This needs to be funded by
those that benefit. This applies not only to Te Kopuru but all wastewater
schemes across the District.
In 2013 the pond was de-sludged and the final cost was $147,417.08.
As part of Council’s consent conditions with the Northland Regional
Council we should be monitoring the results. The system does not
currently have a discharge measuring device and one needs to be
installed. Council is also concerned the environmental standards are
likely to get tougher.
The Policy applied until 2013/14 was to only charge for required operating
expenditure and a portion of the capital costs. There has been no money
set aside for improvements.
For your information we are also preparing material as a separate exercise
for the Te Kopuru ratepayers that you may find helpful. This material
will include:
Information relating to the upgrading of the Te Kopuru Wastewater Scheme
Information relating to depreciation
Information and costs relating to the desluding of the ponds
This information will be available on the 26 May.
Kind Regards
Linda Osbourne
[1]cid:image001.jpg@01CF2645.3F4CF240
Kaipara District Council
Private Bag 1001
Dargaville 0340
Dargaville Office: 42 Hokianga Road, Dargaville 0310
Mangawhai Office: Unit 6, The Hub, 6 Molesworth Drive, Mangawhai 0505
P: 0800 727 059
E: [2][Kaipara District Council request email]
W: [3]www.kaipara.govt.nz
show quoted sections
From: Glenis P. Martin
Kaipara District Council
Hello Edward
Please find Linda Osborne’s reply as follows:
Thank you for your further email and request for information under the
Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987.
The Te Kopuru residents pay towards the capital and operating costs of
operating the scheme.
Please find attached a breakdown of the annual operating costs for the Te
Kopuru Wastewater Scheme from 2008-2013. A breakdown of Council’s
accounting records does not go back thirty years.
Money is not in a separate account to cover depreciation, maintenance and
repairs. The annual targeted rates collects money to pay for the operating
costs (eg depreciation, maintenance and repairs) as required, as well as a
portion of the capital costs.
The Scheme has been maintained according to the maintenance contract that
currently is undertaken by Downers. There will always be on-going costs
to maintain and operate a wastewater scheme. This needs to be funded by
those that benefit. This applies not only to Te Kopuru but all wastewater
schemes across the District.
In 2013 the pond was de-sludged and the final cost was $147,417.08.
As part of Council’s consent conditions with the Northland Regional
Council we should be monitoring the results. The system does not
currently have a discharge measuring device and one needs to be
installed. Council is also concerned the environmental standards are
likely to get tougher.
The Policy applied until 2013/14 was to only charge for required operating
expenditure and a portion of the capital costs. There has been no money
set aside for improvements.
For your information we are also preparing material as a separate exercise
for the Te Kopuru ratepayers that you may find helpful. This material
will include:
Information relating to the upgrading of the Te Kopuru Wastewater Scheme
Information relating to depreciation
Information and costs relating to the desludging of the ponds
This information will be available on the 26 May.
Kind regards
Glenis Martin
Customer Services
[1]cid:image001.jpg@01CF20D5.3C936810
Kaipara District Council
Private Bag 1001
Dargaville 0340
Dargaville Office: 42 Hokianga Road, Dargaville 0310
Mangawhai Office: Unit 6, The Hub, 6 Molesworth Drive, Mangawhai 0505
P: 0800 727 059
E: [2][Kaipara District Council request email]
W: [3]www.kaipara.govt.nz
References
Visible links
2. mailto:[Kaipara District Council request email]
3. http://www.kaipara.govt.nz/
From: Edward Wedgwood
Dear Glenis P. Martin,Surely the depreciation cost collected by the HCC and KDC (now)every year for 33 years must have been put aside to cover any replacement / future maintenance otherwise why would it be collected and charged out to the residents.My understanding of claiming depreciation is to have that money available in the future for upgrading when necessary not charging the ratepayers twice for future work that may be necessary.
At present it certainly looks as though the KDC is having two bites at the cherry.
Yours sincerely,
Edward Wedgwood
From: Council
Kaipara District Council
Hello Edward
Further to your latest email attached is a power point that was presented
to the Te Kopuru Hall Committee last week.
The presentation outlined aspects of depreciation and funding for the Te
Kopuru Wastewater Scheme and may be of some interest to you.
Our files are publicly available for viewing. Should you wish to view a
specific file relating to Te Kopuru Wastewater please feel free to contact
me.
Regards Linda Osborne
[1]cid:image001.jpg@01CF20D5.3C936810
Kaipara District Council
Private Bag 1001
Dargaville 0340
Dargaville Office: 42 Hokianga Road, Dargaville 0310
Mangawhai Office: Unit 6, The Hub, 6 Molesworth Drive, Mangawhai 0505
P: 0800 727 059
E: [2][Kaipara District Council request email]
W: [3]www.kaipara.govt.nz
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