Working together for water

Napier City Council and Hawke’s Bay Regional Council are moving ahead with detailed analysis of how to best co-manage their stormwater assets to improve service delivery.

At a joint NCC and HBRC stormwater workshop today councilors from both councils agreed to explore four options for improving the complex roles and responsibilities around management of pump stations, waterways, detention ponds and other infrastructure that makes up the urban stormwater system in Napier.

The next stage of detailed analysis of the preferred options is due to commence in the next couple of months.

Roles and responsibilities are currently shared by the two councils with maintenance, management, operations and ownership of land, structures and detention ponds differing depending on area. In some cases one council holds a contract to operate or maintain an asset owned by the other council.

“We feel that it’s better for the public, and for our staff if it’s clear who has responsibility for what, who owns which part of the network and who is accountable if there are any challenges,” said Mayor Kirsten Wise. “At an operational, day-to-day level we have always worked well together, we want to streamline and formalize that.”

The options analysis was identified as a key action in the reports on the November 2020 flood in Napier. It is also seen as a vital piece of work ahead of changes in the management of water through three waters reforms in 2024.

15 November 2021

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