Voter opposition to water schemes

VOTERS in Rongotea and Himatangi Beach have indicated their opposition to proposed water supply and wastewater schemes in their communities.

Sixty-two percent of voters are against Rongotea’s $2.9 million water supply installation, while 56 percent of Himatangi Beach’s landowners indicated their opposition to a wastewater scheme estimated to cost between $5.6 and $6.6 million.
Voting in the two community polls aimed at gauging the level of interest in the schemes closed at noon last Thursday and progress results were made available today by the Manawatu District Council.

The final results are to be announced at council’s monthly meeting on Thursday.

Rongotea’s return revealed 147 voters opposed to the scheme (62.5 percent), as against 88 in favour (37.5 percent), while Himatangi Beach’s figures indicated a 174 against (56.7 percent)/133 for (43.3 percent) split.

Poll returns showed that 235 of the 297 eligible voters in Rongotea (79.1 percent) had cast a vote, while 307 of the 442 landowners at Himatangi Beach (69 percent) had returned their papers.

MDC sent out voting papers a month ago asking voters to indicate whether they supported the implementation of their particular scheme or not. The poll involved one vote per property.
Central Government subsidies for the schemes amounted to 50 percent at Himatangi Beach and 80 percent at Rongotea.

Assets Group Manager, Richard Kirby, said council would discuss the results at Thursday’s meeting, but it appeared the Rongotea scheme would not proceed with more than 60 percent of landowners opposing the proposal.

Himatangi Beach’s result was closer, falling between the 40 percent to 60 percent range of voter support, and it would be up to council to make the final decision on whether to proceed or not.

Mr Kirby said he was disappointed in the results, and the possible effects on the long-term futures for Rongotea and Himatangi Beach - “but that’s the decision the voters made as a group and council stands by that”.

He was surprised at the Rongotea outcome considering the size of the government subsidy involved and the cost of $2000 a household for having a public water supply installed.
Mr Kirby said response to the community polls was excellent, indicating a lot of interest in the proposed schemes, and council was appreciative of that support.

The progress results are now on the MDC website at www.mdc.govt.nz.