Mayor Lewers uses casting vote to push through new water CCO

In a marathon two hour council debate today Mayor Glyn Lewers used his casting vote to push through a new external organisation to manage QLDC’s future water services.

The Council Controlled Organisation (CCO) will have an expert, technical board and considerable independence from elected councillors. There’s not yet any accurate modelling as to whether the CCO will save money or increase the amount that ratepayers have to pay for water services.

Mayor Lewers told the full council meeting that “it had been made clear to him” that if the council voted to keep water services in house the Government may well override that decision in the future.

The tension in the QLDC council chamber was clear from the start, so much so that Councillor Melissa White tried unsuccessfully to move that the final decision was to be by a simple majority with no casting vote from the mayor. That motion was lost.

Staff told the meeting that only just over 100 public submissions were received but that a clear 75% were opposed to the CCO move. Staff also told the council meeting that many of the submissions had gone into the QLDC’s “junk” email folder, but had eventually been found.

This comment seemed to amuse some councillors and staff,

Councillor Lisa Guy was dismissive of the public submissions saying they represented only a tiny proportion of the total population.

Melissa White later said that in making this decision the QLDC was opening a door that could never be closed.

Councillor Barry Bruce from Wānaka spoke in support of the CCO.

When the mayor used his casting vote there was clear, audible frustration from the councillors opposed to the CCO move.

The CCO move is linked to, among other Government initiatives, a proposed decrease in water quality through the easing of pollution thresholds.

Councillor Matt Wong said it was “another example” of central Government “forcing decisions on local government while not making any significant financial contribution.”

No definitive work has yet been done on the establishment costs of the new water CCO and a new Board.