Mangawhai Stormwater Upgrade Retains 10 Year Time Frame

The construction time for Mangawhai’s stormwater system upgrade will not be shortened and the work will continue over 10 years as originally planned.

However Kaipara District Council has decided to enlarge stormwater rating boundaries to coincide with those of EcoCare, creating a common drainage district.

The 10 year stormwater upgrade project involves piping the large open drains in Mangawhai Village, localised upgrades in Mangawhai Heads, providing piped open drains and swales on arterial routes plus a variety of improvements elsewhere.

During its Annual Plan process Kaipara District Council sought comment on reducing the stormwater work to two years to coincide with the EcoCare construction. This would avoid streets being dug up twice, increase safety and reduce disruption, but would also have seen the average property’s stormwater rate rise from $94.00 to $209.00 in two years instead of progressively over ten.

Only six written submission were received, divided for and against the proposals. Objections included concern that the rapid rate increase would be difficult to accept when combined with significant increases associated with EcoCare and there was also skepticism over whether it would be possible to co-ordinate pipe laying between the two projects.

Council decided that the small number of submissions did not give it a community mandate to make such a significant change to the time frame and has retained the status-quo. However, it will change the rating boundary to coincide with EcoCare as this spreads the rating load more equitably and more than 99 per cent of properties in the extended area are already zoned residential, or rural residential.

Work scheduled to be carried out during the 2008/09 year will begin in Moir Street east towards the Domain in July, followed by Insley Street and then Moir Street west and part of Molesworth Drive.

Where possible it will be integrated with EcoCare.