Gutters, footpaths and water pipes

The Red Cone Brigade marched onto Jellicoe St recently as contractors dug out 200-plus meters of old gutter and replaced it. 

Lines of Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown’s pet punch-bag guided cars, utes, trucks, log haulers, buses, camper vans slowly (30 kph) through the work zone, as workers, diggers and trucks laboured under the hot sun.

From the other end of the country, a special diamond-shaped purple sign _ originally from Southland _ warned drivers: “Please slow down, my DAD works here.”

Earlier, street works saw major footpath extensions and new gutters adorn one side of Easther, Regent and Malcolm streets, about a kilometer of extra concrete.

A council question which asked who should pay for Martinborough’s expanding urban footpaths and gutters drew 140 local submissions. 

Some 61 percent (six out of 10) said urban ratepayers should stump up for 90 percent of the cost, rural the other 10 percent.  The 90% urban ratepayer/10% rural funding split was suggested by the council.

As one astute observer noted: “Everyone uses the urban footpaths, how else do farmers get to the shops?”

The issue of council works priorities does keep emerging, however.

Jellicoe St has had at least two major fresh water pipe leaks repaired in the past few months – one of them right in the middle of the latest works area.

Currently some 46 percent of drinking water is being lost to leaks across South Wairarapa. 

Yet the council in its six-month financial statement to December 31, 2023 confirms it is significantly under-spending on its water maintenance budget so far this financial year.

Do SWDC priorities need review?  

Should replacing failing water pipes which cause the loss of 46 percent of vital treated water take precedent over new gutters?

ends