Watercare Discussion Update

This past month, we’ve made some progress in our discussions with Watercare about the upcoming infrastructure projects in Warkworth. Yesterday I was part of a team of local engineers, led by Dave Stott, that met with Watercare’s engineers, project managers, and design staff at the Warkworth Hotel. The meeting, facilitated by Watercare, allowed both sides to share their views and ask questions.

Watercare presented their preferred option, which involves trenching through town. This wasn’t a surprise to us, and our team had some pointed questions, particularly about the challenges they’d face with this approach. We believe there are aspects they hadn’t fully considered, but they were open to the feedback we provided.

In turn, we presented two alternative options that are less disruptive to front-facing businesses in the town. The first option still involves coming through town but proposes tunnelling at a depth that avoids existing services. This would require a pump at the Lucy Moore Park pumping station. The second option, which we favour, would run along the waterfront, avoiding most of the retail area. This approach would involve a mix of trenching and tunnelling and could lead to a revamped wharf area.

There were plenty of questions from the Watercare team, and our discussions extended over lunch. I was encouraged by their willingness to listen and consider our suggestions. Watercare has promised to review our options with an open mind and engage more directly with our engineers, which should help resolve some of the technical issues that have previously been roadblocks.

Looking ahead, Watercare will be conducting Geotech work in Queen Street over the next couple of months to better understand the location of existing services. Please be aware that this doesn’t mean they’re about to start digging—let’s not let rumours get ahead of us.

I want to acknowledge the immense effort our team of engineers and experts has put into developing these alternative options. Their skill and dedication have been instrumental in getting us to this point. If we manage to secure the best outcome for our town, their contributions should be recognised by us all.

We’ll continue to keep you informed as things progress. To our local retailers, we know this process isn’t easy, but please know that we’re all in this together.

Murray Chapman

Manager, One Mahurangi Business Association

Email: [email protected]

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