New Criteria for Funding Scheme Rules Out Waitaki

The Ministry of Health announced new criteria for the Drinking Water Subsidy Scheme that effectively rules out Waitaki from Central Government funding.

The announcement confirms that none of Councils multimillion dollar water treatment upgrades will receive any Government subsidy.

The news is disappointing but not unexpected. The new criteria will have no impact on Waitaki ratepayers budgets were drawn up with no subsidy funding.

In order to qualify for a slice of the $10 million of government funding available each year communities must be fewer than 5,000 people and have a deprivation index higher than seven. (A deprivation index of 10 is the least socially and materially well off.) As of August 2008 six was the highest deprivation index of any Waitaki community expecting to upgrade their water supply.

Work to upgrade rural water supplies across the District will continue as planned.

The Drinking Water Subsidy Scheme started in 2006 and was closed in 2009 to allow the criteria to be reviewed.