Council to cap some water bills
28 August 2018
Waipa District Council will cap water bills for a small number of Waipā cross-lease households disadvantaged by cross-lease issues.
Last November the Council decided properties with shared water meters, most of them older, cross-lease properties, would have their bill split equally between those connected to the meter. Most (86% across the district) pay less now for water services than when a flat rate of $405.60 per property was charged.
But around 140 residential properties are financially disadvantaged by split bills, possibly through no fault of their own.
Council sought feedback from the community during July on a potential water remissions policy to assist these property owners. Council sent information directly to all 1,100 complex property owners and asked for further public input. In total, feedback was received from 68 submitters, 47 in support of a water remission policy, 10 not in support and 11 neutral.
Today Council unanimously agreed to put an interim water remission policy in place, ensuring properties which meet the criteria will have their water meter bill capped at a maximum of $372 for the 2018/19 year. The decision will be reviewed in time for the 2019/20 year as part of an overall review around Council's approach to split bills.
At today's meeting, Council further discussed lending property owners money to pay for any changes required to private plumbing so water meters could be separated. Already about 84 properties which had a shared meter have chosen to split their plumbing. Property owners pay the private plumbing cost with Council installing and paying for a new meter at the road boundary.
Council is considering lending up to a maximum of $5,000 to be paid back via a fixed, targeted rate. Details of this will now be worked through before feedback is sought on this proposal as part of next year's draft Annual Plan.