Mayor Phil Goff has welcomed the decision by Hamilton City Council to work closely with Watercare on transferring its unused water allocation to Auckland.

“I spoke to Mayor Southgate last week and she has been very understanding of the water issues faced by Auckland,” said Mayor Goff.

“Currently Hamilton City Council has a water allocation that they do not use, and we would like to see that transferred to Watercare, temporarily, so that Auckland can use some of that water while the dams are still very low.

“We do appreciate the collaborative approach at a time Auckland is facing the worst drought we have ever seen.

“There is still a process to go through, including working with Waikato Tainui and the Waikato Regional Council, and that process will continue.”

Watercare Liaison Councillor Linda Cooper said, “Hamilton/Waikato and Auckland have a long history of working together collaboratively and it is great to see that they are willing to work with us during this time. We are grateful our neighbours in the south are taking this issue seriously, not only for our city but also for our country.”

Watercare has contracts with the Waikato District Council to provide treated drinking water to Pokeno and Tuakau, and to operate water, wastewater, and stormwater networks in the district council area.
 

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