“We engaged with the supplier to come up with a plan to deliver safe drinking water to its customers, but ultimately the plan showed a need to take the next step and bring other parties around the table to find a reasonable solution for this community.”
Although the council is not the drinking water supplier for Kāeo, the authority is calling for collaborative discussions as part of the council’s duty to ensure communities within its region have access to safe drinking water when a supplier is facing a significant problem.
“This is a rare step for the authority to call on a council’s duties under the Local Government (Water Services) Act 2025 and follows extensive engagement with the private supplier. Boil water advisories are intended to be a temporary safety measure, not a long-term fix. Both the authority and the community want to see a resolution that provides safe drinking water.
“While this may not be a quick fix, we will continue working alongside Far North District Council and the supplier to secure a safe drinking water solution for Kāeo.”
FNDC head of infrastructure Tanya Proctor said she welcomed the involvement of Taumata Arowai.
“While the council is not the drinking water supplier in this case, it does have a duty to ensure communities have access to safe drinking water when a supplier faces a significant problem.
“We are keen to explore options with Wai Care to help resolve long-standing water quality issues for affected Kāeo residents and businesses. At the same time, we need to be mindful of our budget constraints and ensure that the interests of Far North ratepayers are protected.”
The next steps will involve council staff meeting with Wai Care to thoroughly assess existing water infrastructure and options for possible solutions.
She said FNDC’s partners in establishing a Northland-wide, council-controlled organisation (CCO) to deliver drinking water and wastewater services – Whangārei and Kaipara district councils – have been informed about the direction from Taumata Arowai.
Wai Care’s Bryce Aldridge said he “supports the media statement made by Taumata Arowai”.