Posted on 11-6-2003

Water Group Ups Pressure

"A sleeping giant is about to awaken - a sleeping giant which has never
woken before!" Water Pressure Group Media Spokesperson
Penny Bright warned Auckland City Councillors at submission hearings for
the 2003 - 2004 Annual Plan.

A huge wall hanging, listing 160 Avondale streets, was unfurled - the
basis for an historic and unprecedented system of
street-based organisation that will be used for the first time to
encourage thousands more Auckland City households to join the boycott of
Metrowater's water services bills, which are crippling so many Auckland
families.

Our vision is that by the time of the next Auckland City Council elections,
there will be so many thousands of households not paying their water bills
that an incoming Council will have no choice but to listen to the direct
action of the people, and abolish Metrowater." Councillors present were
given a copy of the Christchurch rates demand for a property valued at
$235,000, whose combined annual rates and water services bill totalled
$1540. The water component was $104, the wastewater (sewerage) $154. Many,
many families in Auckland City are paying more than that every 3 months for
Metrowater's bills. "Christchurch residents have what we want. Water meters
without user charges and water and wastewater charges based on
property-based rates.

Over the Waikato water issue - we did research no one else had done and
were denied speaking rights to pass on this information to Auckland City
Councillors. Yet in today's news, arsenic levels higher than those allowed
by World Health Organisation Standards are being found in untreated Waikato
river water. Why are we not using water from the Waitakere and Hunua
catchments which does not have these same levels of arsenic? Why is 'best
raw water first' not being used?" she continued.

Auckland City Councillors present at this hearing, including Mayor John
Banks and Deputy Mayor David Hay, appeared noticably subdued as the
implications of such street-based organisation being used at the next
Council election to advise the public of who had policy closest to that of
the Water Pressure Group's, sank in. 'David Hay believed that Metrowater's
'user charges' for water services were 'fairer''.' Try telling that to the
big Polynesian families in Avondale, who are paying $700 per year for
their rates and $1500 to $2000 per year for Metrowater's water services
bills on top of their rates!"
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A follow-up public meeting to sign up Metrowater boycotters and 'street
delegates' is being held tomorrow night: Wednesday 11 June
7.30pm Avondale Primary School Hall Crayford St West (The side street
opposite the old 3 Guys site Great North Rd Avondale shopping centre).

Those wishing to sign up as boycotters need to bring along their last 4
Metrowater bills and their last rates bill, so a formal letter of
dispute to Metrowater can be sent.