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Watercare’s board of directors confirmed the increase from July 1, which follows the price path approved by the board of directors in December 2020. It was included in Auckland Council’s Long-Term Plan which was formally adopted in June 2021, after public consultation.
Watercare chief … View moreWatercare’s board of directors confirmed the increase from July 1, which follows the price path approved by the board of directors in December 2020. It was included in Auckland Council’s Long-Term Plan which was formally adopted in June 2021, after public consultation.
Watercare chief executive Dave Chambers said since the board approved the price path the organisation has “faced significant challenges”, including “very high rates of inflation and extreme weather events ranging from drought to the recent floods.”
“However, we know many people are facing financial strain, so it’s important to us to keep price increases as low as possible,” he said.
“This is why we’re sticking with the price path we communicated in 2021 as part of Auckland Council’s Long-Term Plan.”
Chambers said Watercare has been able to keep costs manageable by reducing its overall head count through attrition.
Infrastructure growth charges will also rise by 8 per cent.
The price for 1000 litres of water will now go from $1.825 to $1.998, while 1000 litres of wastewater will go from $3.174 to $3.476. The fixed wastewater charge will go from $264 a year to $289.
“In real terms, households with average water use will pay about $2.20 more per week,” Chambers said.
“We encourage our customers to get in touch with us if they’re struggling to pay their bills. We can work out flexible payment plans or refer them to the Water Utility Consumer Assistance Trust, which we fund to support customers suffering genuine hardship.”
He said during the past year Watercare has been “focused heavily on reducing our controllable costs.”
“Without this work, we would have been looking at a price increase of 10.7 per cent, so it’s thanks to this drive to find efficiencies that we can keep the increase to 9.5 per cent.
“One of the ways we’ve made savings is by reducing our overall head count through attrition. We’ve gone from having 1255 full-time equivalent staff in June 2022, to 1198 in January 2023.”
A recent review of Watercare’s Asset Management Plan identified a forecast capital expenditure increase of $3.6 billion over the next 10 years.
“This takes our forecast capital expenditure to more than $13 billion over the next 10 years. To fund this, we’ll need to increase the amount we borrow,” Chambers said.
“In the next financial year alone we’ll be spending more than $1b on infrastructure projects that cater for growth, replace ageing assets and deliver better outcomes for the environment. These include completing a new 45-million-litre water storage reservoir at Redoubt Rd, which significantly boosts our water supply resilience, and continuing to tunnel our Central Interceptor wastewater pipe between central Auckland and our Māngere Wastewater Treatment Plant.”
The announcement comes after the axe started to fall on jobs across the Auckland Council group to address a $295 million hole in Mayor Wayne Brown’s first budget.
Eke Panuku Development Auckland confirmed about 20 positions are initially going at the property development arm.
Council chief executive Jim Stabback, with a staff of 7200 and an annual wages bill of more than $530m, has also confirmed job losses are looming.
Stabback and the chief executives of council-controlled organisations (CCOs) are having to trim services and jobs in response to the $295m budget hole brought about by rising costs from high inflation and interest costs and falling revenue from things like public transport fares.
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www.nzherald.co.nz...
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Pi Day is on March 14, and any day that combines fun, education, and pie is a day worth celebrating! Pi, also known by the Greek letter “π,” is a constant value used in math that represents the ratio of a circumference of a circle to its diameter, which is just about 3.14….15…9265359… … View morePi Day is on March 14, and any day that combines fun, education, and pie is a day worth celebrating! Pi, also known by the Greek letter “π,” is a constant value used in math that represents the ratio of a circumference of a circle to its diameter, which is just about 3.14….15…9265359… (and so on). Not only that, but the fourteenth of March is also Albert Einstein’s birthday, so all together it’s nothing short of a mathematician’s delight.
If you are animal lovers, please consider to support this request by Wed, March 15 🙏🏻
www.facebook.com...
Every email counts! Please help to end the most inhumane cruelty to the thousands of NZ dogs💔
youtu.be...
Dogs were born to be human's soulmates, but thousands of humans … View moreIf you are animal lovers, please consider to support this request by Wed, March 15 🙏🏻
www.facebook.com...
Every email counts! Please help to end the most inhumane cruelty to the thousands of NZ dogs💔
youtu.be...
Dogs were born to be human's soulmates, but thousands of humans chain them 24/7. They are eating, sleeping, defecating, urinating, and walking in the same circle for years. Most of them have no shelter, starving, rotting alive and dying on the chain in unthinkable pain 💔
www.facebook.com...
After four years of disruption, high schoolers all over Auckland finally got the Polyfest they had been waiting for.
It was estimated about 60,000 people attended Polyfest last week, where 8000 students from 181 cultural groups representing 55 schools performed traditional speech, song and … View moreAfter four years of disruption, high schoolers all over Auckland finally got the Polyfest they had been waiting for.
It was estimated about 60,000 people attended Polyfest last week, where 8000 students from 181 cultural groups representing 55 schools performed traditional speech, song and dance.
It’s the first time in several years that the festival has gone ahead without a hitch, following cancellations due to the Christchurch terror attacks in 2019 and the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
For most, it’s not about the win, but the chance to celebrate their culture and embrace their Pasifika heritage.
Manurewa High School’s Sarai Makara-Moreland, 16, was completely out of breath as she stepped off the Cook Islands stage following their high-energy performance.
She said it was a “real privilege” and “a blessing” to get on stage tell the audience: “Hey look, this is my culture. This is where I’m from.”
“The most important thing was we made it up there, and we performed as a team. We are going out, win or lose, as a team.”
Read more of our coverage at Stuff.co.nz, and tell us below - did you watch or compete at Polyfest? How did it go?
A Ukrainian couple who fled their war-torn homeland and found sanctuary in Aotearoa are pleading with the New Zealand Government to let them stay.
Andrii Mishchenko and Olha Turska arrived in New Zealand in April 2022 on the two-year special Ukraine visa.
The area surrounding their … View moreA Ukrainian couple who fled their war-torn homeland and found sanctuary in Aotearoa are pleading with the New Zealand Government to let them stay.
Andrii Mishchenko and Olha Turska arrived in New Zealand in April 2022 on the two-year special Ukraine visa.
The area surrounding their hometown of Sloviansk in Donbas was involved in intense fighting, with Russian forces unleashing attacks. They are now staying with their daughter in Auckland.
Internet is something we need these days for work, study, keeping in touch with loved ones or just to watch a movie! It's another bill to manage right?!
With the cost of living rising, we want to know how much your broadband bill is setting you back each month?
What is Rum Pot? It's the Easiest Way to Preserve Fresh Fruit - see www.eater.com... for more info.
I couldn't find a single Rum Pot on Trademe or FBM, but Rum Pot is VERY popular in Germany (my parents loved putting some on ice cream for desert), and the pot comes with a leaflet about… View moreWhat is Rum Pot? It's the Easiest Way to Preserve Fresh Fruit - see www.eater.com... for more info.
I couldn't find a single Rum Pot on Trademe or FBM, but Rum Pot is VERY popular in Germany (my parents loved putting some on ice cream for desert), and the pot comes with a leaflet about the history (pictured) as well as recipes on how to make proper Rum Pot (buyer's eyes only).
So why not surprise your guests with something they most likely don't know?
It's not mass produced but made by Mayfire Pottery, a small but quite exquisite pottery in Gisborne - judging by this Rum Pot they do excellent work, so that could also be a good investment for the future (please don't break it - it's by far the prettiest rum pot I've seen).
Pickup in Green Bay (we live opposite Green Bay High School) preferred though it is possible to send if buyer pays p&p, or if you are outside Auckland then maybe a friend of yours in Auckland can do the pickup.
As I work from home anyway I'm home pretty much all the time, so just let me know a time you would like to come round.
I have a whole household and shed to clear - so please have a look at my other listings too!
Pickup in Green Bay (we live opposite Green Bay High School) preferred though it is possible to send if buyer pays p&p
Pickup in Green Bay (we live opposite Green Bay High School) preferred though it is possible to send if buyer pays postage
Celebrate Auckland's vibrant cultures at our World of Cultures festival! Visit the website for more than 70 FREE or low-cost activities across the region. Partnered by Vector Lights.
Every month, NZ Gardener runs a series of tested reader recipes using a seasonal crop. We are still on the hunt for amazing and inventive jerusalem artichoke recipes! Send your best ones to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz by March 26, 2023. Every published recipe wins a copy of the May issue of NZ … View moreEvery month, NZ Gardener runs a series of tested reader recipes using a seasonal crop. We are still on the hunt for amazing and inventive jerusalem artichoke recipes! Send your best ones to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz by March 26, 2023. Every published recipe wins a copy of the May issue of NZ Gardener.
Need to be picked up from Morningside this week.
Garage door is approx 5900mm wide, includes remote controls.
Be in to win an experience of a lifetime for your child.
As the official coin toss partner for the Blues, Stuff is giving away six experiences for kids across Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland to take part in the famous ritual at the DHL Super Rugby Pacific and SKY Super Rugby Aupiki home games.
… View moreBe in to win an experience of a lifetime for your child.
As the official coin toss partner for the Blues, Stuff is giving away six experiences for kids across Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland to take part in the famous ritual at the DHL Super Rugby Pacific and SKY Super Rugby Aupiki home games.
They won't just participate in the toss but will also get to watch the game, visit the commentary box and take home a bunch of goodies.
Saturday 18 March, 2-4pm
74 Avonleigh Road, Green Bay, Auckland
This is a special opportunity to learn about our life-saving care of rescued wild birds, and how our advocacy contributes to conservation outcomes for precious taonga species.
Ticket includes a tour of BirdCare Aotearoa’s … View moreSaturday 18 March, 2-4pm
74 Avonleigh Road, Green Bay, Auckland
This is a special opportunity to learn about our life-saving care of rescued wild birds, and how our advocacy contributes to conservation outcomes for precious taonga species.
Ticket includes a tour of BirdCare Aotearoa’s facilities to see behind the scenes at this wild bird hospital and an opportunity to meet some of the beautiful patients in care.
* Tickets are limited to 50 attendees.
* Booking required - please email support@birdcareaotearoa.org.nz
Adults $20, child 12-18 years $15, unsuitable for children under 12 years
www.ecofest.org.nz...
Visit www.ecofest.org.nz... for the full EcoFest programme.
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