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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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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.
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?
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.
Good morning neighbors!
We are a trusted team of professional painters with over 10 years of experience. We provide efficient, reliable, and effective painting solutions through high standards of customer service. We offer competitive pricing and a satisfaction guarantee, please get in touch for a… View moreGood morning neighbors!
We are a trusted team of professional painters with over 10 years of experience. We provide efficient, reliable, and effective painting solutions through high standards of customer service. We offer competitive pricing and a satisfaction guarantee, please get in touch for a free quote today.
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.
Whether the actual crunching of numbers sounds exciting or scary, celebrating World Maths Day can be oodles and oodles of fun! Maths is believed by many people to be one of the hardest subjects to achieve in because of its strictness in needing correct answers, its abstract concepts, and the … View moreWhether the actual crunching of numbers sounds exciting or scary, celebrating World Maths Day can be oodles and oodles of fun! Maths is believed by many people to be one of the hardest subjects to achieve in because of its strictness in needing correct answers, its abstract concepts, and the overall stress involved in succeeding. But don’t let that be intimidating!
World Maths Day is a chance to test your skills, practice maths, and get involved in a worldwide event that celebrates the history of maths to improve the lives of students, parents, and teachers everywhere.
Hi there any one have a spare fridge they no longer need our fridge is actually lecking
Excellent condition, Rego up to Dec 2023.
Up to date servicing. We'll kept and maintained on TIME.
Call 0220437038 if interested.
Pruning this and will leave it out on the berm at 15 King George Ave.
Help yourselves to as much as you like. Will be removed eventually if any is left.
We Now Have 59 Google Reviews and Rated 5-Star! ⭐️
Interior & Exterior Cleans starting at $179.00 incl. GST!
Possible the biggest window our technicians have ever seen in Remuera this past week 😮
This window came out absolutely fantastic once cleaned inside and out, and for a … View moreWe Now Have 59 Google Reviews and Rated 5-Star! ⭐️
Interior & Exterior Cleans starting at $179.00 incl. GST!
Possible the biggest window our technicians have ever seen in Remuera this past week 😮
This window came out absolutely fantastic once cleaned inside and out, and for a statement window, it’s important!
Need your Windows Cleaned? Pick Squee:gee for the best service not only during your clean, but before and afterwards too!
Flat-Rate Pricing. Online Booking. Simple!
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We're all mostly familiar with Kate Sheppard's role in the women's suffrage movement (and her face on the $10 note) and you've likely heard of the bold, Jean Batten. But who else should not be forgotten? Tell us why!
Let's celebrate Women's History month as well as … View moreWe're all mostly familiar with Kate Sheppard's role in the women's suffrage movement (and her face on the $10 note) and you've likely heard of the bold, Jean Batten. But who else should not be forgotten? Tell us why!
Let's celebrate Women's History month as well as International Women's Day (this Wednesday) by sharing some of the lesser-known, inspiring women who've played a part in New Zealand's history.
Share your thoughts below for the We Say You Say column of the local paper - write NFP if you wish your comments to be excluded.
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