17th July 2024

Hello Warkworth Residents & Businesses!

Thank you for the massive response we got to the petition to Watercare for an alternative route through Warkworth. Following our townhall meeting we’ve continued to work hard and represent the concerns of the community and the petition was one of those steps.

We managed to present this petition at the Watercare Board meeting on 10^th July, ahead of their August meeting where they were slated to make their final decision on the pipeline route. At the presentation we had 3,033 signatures with a following 343 received in the following days, making a total of 3,376 signatures; estimated at over 75% of our voting age population in Warkworth! This is no small feat, and we thank the community for the support. There will however be further call to action so keep your eyes peeled for this and bring your friends and family when the call goes out – this is the only chance we have!

We would like to share with you the letter we received from the Chair of Watercare Board, acknowledging our deputation at the meeting and agreeing to defer their decision until December and confirming invitation to work with their engineers to look at options, including any new proposals.

As I said at the town hall meeting our primary approach is to confirm an alternative route that does not create the same issues as going down the main street. We continue to work on these alternatives, and we thank the landowners who alternative routes may affect for their positivity and willingness to consider the greater good for the community as well as the potential impact on their properties. If, through every effort, the route continues down the main street then we pivot to mitigating and reducing disruptions through potential use of alternative technology (instead of open trenching) as well as pressing for nightworks and work over weekends to complete work as quickly as possible.

We also continue to explore legal and consenting avenues.

We again thank everyone for their galvanizing support and while this is a huge positive step and it buys us more critical time we still have the same issues and challenges to resolve as well as raising the public and national awareness of this.

Please see below to the response from Watercare as well as the presentation and letter presented to the board.

Kind Regards,

Bevan Morrison

Co-Chair of One Mahurangi Business Association

16 July 2024

Bevan Morrison and Dave Stott Co-Chairs

One Mahurangi Business Association

[email protected]

Dear Bevan and Dave

Response to your deputation to our Board concerning our Warkworth wastewater servicing project

Thank you for presenting at our board meeting on 10 July 2024. We acknowledge receipt of your letter and petition.

It is reassuring to hear your business association understands the vital need for a new wastewater pipeline: to support growth in the area and to improve the health of the Mahurangi River and harbour. We acknowledge that your concerns with our project are focused on the pipeline’s route and its potential impact on local businesses.

As you are aware, we have invested $1 million over the past 18 months investigating route options. This was in response to feedback from your association in 2022. We shared the results of our investigation with you in May.

Our board was planning to make the final decision on the route at their August meeting. In acknowledgement of your deputation and petition, we have agreed to defer the decision for the time being.

We would like to invite your engineers to join us, as well as several developer engineers, for a facilitated workshop where we can share ideas and discuss the options, including any new proposals. We will come back to you by 26 July 2024 with details of the workshop.

As the pipeline is critical for the town and protection of the environment we must continue to move forward. With this in mind, the Board expects to confirm the route for the Hill Street intersection to Lucy Moore Pump Station section of the pipeline by December at the latest.

Yours faithfully,

Geoff Hunt

Chair

Watercare Services Limited