Otama water supply Bill passes 2nd reading

Rows of tanks supplying stock and people with water as part of the Otama water scheme. The Otama...
Rows of tanks supplying stock and people with water as part of the Otama water scheme. The Otama Rural Water Supply Bill passed its second reading in Parliament on Wednesday. Photo: Ensign files
The Otama Rural Water Supply Bill passed its second reading in Parliament this week, gaining unanimous support.

The purpose of the Bill is to transfer the scheme from the Gore District Council to its users.

Scheme chairman Tom Affleck travelled to Wellington to hear the reading and was delighted with the result.

"I'm very happy with it, especially with a unanimous decision from all parties."

The Bill passed its first reading last month. It has one further reading

"There's one more. I'm hopeful it could move quite quickly but it's up in the air at this stage.

"It would be nice to have it all tidied up by the wintertime."

The Bill was recommended by the governance and administration committee, which came to Gore in November last year.

The Bill was amended to require the scheme to provide a report to the medical officer of health showing it could provide safe drinking water.

A team, including members of the Southern District Health Board, came to Gore last month to discuss drinking water standards with the scheme's board.

A Three Waters advisory team from Wellington would come to Gore on Thursday to provide more information, Mr Affleck said.

The scheme supplies 240 properties covering 29550ha with stock and household water.

-Kayla Hodge, Gore Ensign

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