Pat Dougherty: Wellington Water CEO on the relationship with contractors, city council after ratepayers got overcharged

Wellington Water's boss says local councils have every right to be angry at them. 

Tory Whanau yesterday described her council's relationship with the organisation as “tense” at a special meeting, following revelations last week it wasn't getting value for ratepayers' money. 

Wellington Water CEO Pat Dougherty told Mike Hosking he and his staff are doing everything they can to find the issues and fix them. 

He says there's been a culture of putting too much trust in their contractors, and he wants a more tense and accountable relationship. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The Wellington Water shambles got another airing yesterday and one

(00:02):
of the outcomes of the meeting was another meeting. There
was some expectation that the chair would quit. That didn't happen.
The Wellington Water CEO pa do pat Dockerty as with us.
Pat morning, Mike. So you came out all guns blazing
for Nick Leggart. He doesn't deserve to go. Do you
think ultimately he will go or not?

Speaker 2 (00:21):
Look, at the end of the day, that's a decision
for the shareholders, but I'm hoping not. Why not? Look,
he's made a huge contribution to the change and culture
of the organization. People have been reluctant to speak up.
Nick has been the visible champion of one of the
visible champions of that within the organization, and that would
send a very bad message of the first time we

(00:41):
put a hand up and say look, we've made a
mistake and we're fixing it, that the person at the
head pays the price. That would just set us back again.

Speaker 1 (00:51):
For everyone around the country hasn't followed this intricately. How
many of you guys are Newish and therefore it's kind
of not your fault, and how many of you are
still there, and I'm talking about the execus he up
as well as the board. How many of you still
there that should be held responsible.

Speaker 2 (01:04):
At the executive level. There's I think three out of
eight sort of long serving that are still there on
the border. I don't think there's been anyone there longer
than three years.

Speaker 1 (01:16):
Right, So what you would argue is we're new, we're fresh,
we know what we're doing, We've got it under control.
Just let us try and get on with it.

Speaker 2 (01:23):
Exactly. We're the ones turning over the stones and fixing this.
What we're trying to do is sorry, mine, is it fixable? Oh? Yes? Look,
there's been a culture of growing our ability to deliver
work and a culture of trusting our consultants and contractors,
and I believe in a're more having a bit more

(01:44):
tension on that relationship holding people to account. Now, it's
easily fixed and the staff are kin to make the changes.

Speaker 1 (01:50):
So you're what you're looking to do is simply put
that argument across and maybe hose a few counselors down,
who I am assuming want heads to roll for political
purposes so they can say, look, got a scalp.

Speaker 2 (02:03):
Some of them are supportive, some of them are very
angry and they've got every reason to be. All I
was trying to do was present the other side of
the argument so that they have time to think about
that before Friday.

Speaker 1 (02:15):
The Prime Minister's comments last week post cabinet that this
whole organization isn't set up properly, is he right?

Speaker 2 (02:21):
Oh? Absolutely, Look that the solution for Wellington's water network
is a stands alone company that can raise its own
send out its own invoices and borrow its own money
and start pouring some money into replacing aging infrastructure. So
that is the absolute solution, and that's what we're trying
to do, is fix this company so it can be

(02:42):
the basis of a new organization which is supposed to
start on one July twenty sixth. We don't want the
performance of this Wellington water to be an impediment to
getting the right structure in place. So the promnise has.

Speaker 1 (02:54):
Bang on what happens on Friday.

Speaker 2 (02:56):
At the meeting, we'll be revisiting there's value for money.
I expect that really be in the chairs hands and
having another discussion about it. But they've now had the
report for a few days, they've heard our start of
the story and I look forward to the debate.

Speaker 1 (03:16):
All Right, we'll probably get you back on talk about it.
I appreciate it. Pat Dockety, Wellington Water CEO. Nothing like meetings, Hey,
don't we all love meetings. For more from the Mic
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