Media release from Lyndy McIntyre,
Paekakariki/Raumati councillor

10 January 2008

Latest Deluge A Lost Opportunity

Paekakariki/Raumati ward councillor Lyndy McIntyre called today for financial assistance for Kapiti Coast residents to acquire water tanks.

“Poor planning in the past has meant the Kapiti Coast has lost the opportunity to collect thousands of litres of water during the recent deluge,” she said.

“If KCDC was focussed on collection and storage and water, the past few days would have seen our abundant rainfall captured for future use. Instead it has flowed out to the sea.”

Lyndy McIntyre said Kapiti had more than adequate rainfall annually but because we do not collect and store it we face the sort of shortages we have recently experienced.

“It’s no good panicking when the drought is on,” she said. “We need to capture the rain when it falls.”

Lyndy McIntyre said many Australian state governments subsidised water tanks and we should do the same.

“Nearly 40% of Adelaide households have a water tank,” she said. “Residents can afford tanks because of subsidies and the benefits far outweigh the costs to the state government.”

Based on estimated savings of 40,000 litres of water per household per year, Melbourne residents are eligible for a $1,000 subsidy on tanks over 5,000 litres and attached to the toilet and laundry to reduce household dependency on mains water.

Lyndy McIntyre said instead of pinning our hopes on a dam, we should use part of the $8million allocated for water meters to subsidise residents to acquire tanks and grey water systems and explore options for storage ponds and reservoirs in the future. Water tanks are the most sustainable water infrastructure.

“During the election campaign many residents told me they would install modern, efficient water tanks if they could afford them,” she said. “KCDC needs to make this happen and make it happen as soon as possible.”

Lyndy McIntyre said she would be raising this issue as a top priority in the annual plan process.

“Kapiti residents do not want punitive water meters that save no water at all,” she said. “They want support to get on with water collection and storage right now.”

ENDS

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