1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:03,159 Speaker 1: To Wellington. So it seems that councils around the Wellington 2 00:00:03,200 --> 00:00:05,720 Speaker 1: region don't seem terribly keen on stumping up cash to 3 00:00:05,760 --> 00:00:08,840 Speaker 1: help Wellington City fix the broken More Points sewage plant. 4 00:00:09,160 --> 00:00:11,680 Speaker 1: At the moment, Wellington water is owned and funded by 5 00:00:11,720 --> 00:00:14,320 Speaker 1: the Wellington the Hut, the Upper Hut, the Portado and 6 00:00:14,360 --> 00:00:16,680 Speaker 1: the South Wided, Upper and Greater Wellington Regional Councils, but 7 00:00:16,720 --> 00:00:19,080 Speaker 1: already south Wided up as mayor has set a hard 8 00:00:19,160 --> 00:00:21,840 Speaker 1: no and the other three mayors and non commissial. Andrew 9 00:00:21,880 --> 00:00:24,360 Speaker 1: Little is the Mayor of Wellington and he's with us. Now, Hi, Andrew, 10 00:00:25,840 --> 00:00:27,680 Speaker 1: should they help you pay? 11 00:00:28,440 --> 00:00:31,320 Speaker 2: Yeah? I'm not quite sure what they're getting anxious about. 12 00:00:31,360 --> 00:00:33,080 Speaker 2: The way willing to water works is that each of 13 00:00:33,080 --> 00:00:36,720 Speaker 2: the council who works for puts in a capital fund 14 00:00:36,760 --> 00:00:40,280 Speaker 2: at the beginning of each year with an expectation about 15 00:00:40,280 --> 00:00:42,400 Speaker 2: particular work that's going to be done. We've done that 16 00:00:44,600 --> 00:00:46,400 Speaker 2: and there's a little bit of money left over, so 17 00:00:46,600 --> 00:00:49,559 Speaker 2: that might go into the plant. But at the end 18 00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:51,800 Speaker 2: of the day, of my point plant belongs to Willington 19 00:00:51,840 --> 00:00:55,960 Speaker 2: City Council. It's our responsibility. We need to get it 20 00:00:56,040 --> 00:00:57,840 Speaker 2: fixed and up and running. We don't want to quibble 21 00:00:57,840 --> 00:01:01,200 Speaker 2: about who's paying and assurance and all that sort of stuff. 22 00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:04,080 Speaker 2: At this point, at right now, recovery is priority. Then 23 00:01:04,160 --> 00:01:06,000 Speaker 2: we've got to get it fixed and that's what we 24 00:01:06,040 --> 00:01:08,520 Speaker 2: will do, and we'll sort out the arrangements for paying 25 00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:09,720 Speaker 2: for it when. 26 00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:13,920 Speaker 1: We have to sort out the arrangements with who with. 27 00:01:15,720 --> 00:01:20,200 Speaker 2: Running the water and or its replacement for us and 28 00:01:21,240 --> 00:01:25,040 Speaker 2: various parties insurance. You know, there's three parties involved here, 29 00:01:25,400 --> 00:01:29,640 Speaker 2: each insured. The question about who pays ultimately is further 30 00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:32,039 Speaker 2: down the tree. The critical thing is to get the 31 00:01:32,120 --> 00:01:36,080 Speaker 2: work to get the plant fixed up and doing this 32 00:01:36,200 --> 00:01:37,840 Speaker 2: job again. If it is. 33 00:01:37,840 --> 00:01:40,920 Speaker 1: Found that Veolia, who run the plant, have done some 34 00:01:41,360 --> 00:01:43,720 Speaker 1: have made a huge mistake and it is all their fault, 35 00:01:44,040 --> 00:01:45,119 Speaker 1: will they be penalized. 36 00:01:47,560 --> 00:01:50,880 Speaker 2: Yeah. Look, I'm not across the content of the country 37 00:01:50,960 --> 00:01:54,080 Speaker 2: between between Running Water and Bolia and which I think 38 00:01:54,200 --> 00:01:57,360 Speaker 2: is going to be picked up by Jakubaye Metro Water 39 00:01:57,360 --> 00:02:00,560 Speaker 2: when they take over on the first of July. So 40 00:02:00,560 --> 00:02:04,440 Speaker 2: that'll be matter for those entities and when they get 41 00:02:04,520 --> 00:02:08,200 Speaker 2: to that point that if you if you don't, if 42 00:02:08,200 --> 00:02:10,320 Speaker 2: you don't perform to the standard you have contractor to 43 00:02:11,240 --> 00:02:13,920 Speaker 2: Usually in a contract, these consequences. They're going to have 44 00:02:13,919 --> 00:02:14,640 Speaker 2: to see what that is. 45 00:02:16,080 --> 00:02:19,000 Speaker 1: I see that you want to shut down this scap 46 00:02:19,240 --> 00:02:21,040 Speaker 1: or close the gap between the commercial rates and the 47 00:02:21,120 --> 00:02:24,640 Speaker 1: residential rates in your city, which I like frequently complained 48 00:02:24,639 --> 00:02:26,880 Speaker 1: about because they are apparently some of them. That differential 49 00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:28,840 Speaker 1: is one of the highest in the country. Are you 50 00:02:28,919 --> 00:02:30,359 Speaker 1: actually going to be able to do it, because I don't. 51 00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:32,239 Speaker 1: It doesn't sound like you have counsel backing. 52 00:02:33,680 --> 00:02:35,880 Speaker 2: Oh, it's about the pace at which we can do it. 53 00:02:35,880 --> 00:02:38,359 Speaker 2: We've got process of putting the budget for the next 54 00:02:38,400 --> 00:02:41,960 Speaker 2: financial year together that the first priority is cut spending. 55 00:02:43,120 --> 00:02:45,799 Speaker 2: So that's what we're focused on at the moment. At 56 00:02:45,800 --> 00:02:48,720 Speaker 2: a later phase of them looking at how you distribute 57 00:02:48,800 --> 00:02:51,200 Speaker 2: the revenue that you need to raise to do what 58 00:02:51,240 --> 00:02:53,640 Speaker 2: you have to do. At the moment, we've got a 59 00:02:53,639 --> 00:02:57,600 Speaker 2: commercial differential which is three point seven times the equivalent 60 00:02:57,880 --> 00:03:01,200 Speaker 2: residential rate. It's been up, you know, a couple of 61 00:03:01,280 --> 00:03:03,840 Speaker 2: times in the last few years on the promise that 62 00:03:03,880 --> 00:03:05,480 Speaker 2: it would go back down. But of course if it 63 00:03:05,520 --> 00:03:09,600 Speaker 2: goes back down and that changes spending, then residential rates 64 00:03:09,639 --> 00:03:13,560 Speaker 2: go up even faster. So we're going to get spending 65 00:03:13,600 --> 00:03:16,280 Speaker 2: under control, get down under control. Then look at the 66 00:03:16,280 --> 00:03:20,040 Speaker 2: way we write different properties. But I'm committed to getting 67 00:03:20,120 --> 00:03:21,560 Speaker 2: the commercial differential down. 68 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:23,280 Speaker 1: Okay, we'll beast of luck with it, Andrew, and thank 69 00:03:23,320 --> 00:03:26,320 Speaker 1: you for your time, Andrew Little, Wellington Mayor. For more 70 00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:29,680 Speaker 1: from Hither Duplessye Alan Drive, listen live to news talks 71 00:03:29,720 --> 00:03:32,920 Speaker 1: it'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast 72 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:34,000 Speaker 1: on iHeartRadio.