Anita Baker: Porirua Mayor on Wellington Water overcharging ratepayers, if Nick Leggett should step down

Questions over the future of Wellington Water's chairman, with calls for him to go after troubling findings within the organisation. 

A scathing review has found poor procurement processes, potential for fraud, and a serious lack of value for money. 

Board chair Nick Leggett says if the region's mayors ask him to go, he will, but thinks he's taken good action on the issues. 

Porirua Mayor Anita Baker says he doesn't need to go. 

She told Andrew Dickens they’re a year out from water reforms and him and Pat Dougherty are working exceptionally well together to achieve them. 

Baker says she doesn’t see the point. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
So councils in Wellington are furious. I'm furious with a
new scathing report into Wellington Water. Just as we thought
the agency couldn't get any worse. The report found alleged theft,
poor value for money from contractors, and major structural issues.
In fact, it says the Lower North Island rate payers
have coughed up three times what it should have cost
to fix the pipes. So Anita Baker is the polaro

(00:22):
of mayor and joins me now coccording to you, Anita.

Speaker 2 (00:24):
Good morning.

Speaker 1 (00:25):
How was this allowed to happen?

Speaker 2 (00:28):
Not just bloody? Is shocking the internal systems that Wellington
Water with the competitive tendering process a complete jack up,
just just disgrace.

Speaker 1 (00:38):
Yep, Let's remember that last year Wellington Water revealed a
fifty one million dollar budget error. Remember that, of course
you do. It seems like the whole organization has been
a clown show.

Speaker 2 (00:48):
It certainly feels like that, and I have to thank
the new cepet Dockerty in Netleigets are running this report
and finding out these processes. Once that new CEE came
into place, staff just came out of with the issues
and we've been complaining about the pricing and this report
is an absolute eye.

Speaker 1 (01:06):
So staff knew about the issues.

Speaker 2 (01:09):
Staff internally had problems and I think just didn't want
to come forward. You know, other people knew things. So
I think that organization has completely changed since Pat Dockety
has taken over. We're certainly you know, the price processes
have changed and they've got the even even though they
didn't have an IT system, For God's sake, how can

(01:30):
you not have an IT system that pay roll and
everything else they were relying on contract.

Speaker 1 (01:35):
Suggest perhaps they borrowed it because they didn't have enough
money to make their own.

Speaker 2 (01:40):
Yes, it was never set up from the start. Wellington
Water was set up to fail from my point of
view all those years ago. Sure, and it has not been.

Speaker 1 (01:47):
Should Nick leg Get stepped down his chair he's.

Speaker 2 (01:50):
Offered, I personally don't think he should. We're a year
out from water reforms. Him and Pat are working exception
of well together. We're out to two new directors at
the moment. Why would you push someone who's just revealed
what we wanted them to come out and tell us
there was issues. I just don't see why you chop

(02:10):
the head off something when they're working well as good
as a team and we need the processes in place
to go forward with water reforms. So personally I count
to the point.

Speaker 1 (02:19):
Yeah, I get it because it's not the problems, not
with the head, it's with what's happening at the base.
So you pilot of a city, you're working with Hot City,
Upperhut City, Wellington City and Greater Wellington Regional Councils alongside
EWE Partners on a new model for water services delivery
and that new entity you're hoping to begin in July
twenty twenty six, is this under the local water done well?
And how are you looking to pull your ability to

(02:41):
borrow more money so you can fix the bloody pipes?

Speaker 2 (02:44):
You're not wrong because we've got lots of pipes that
need fixing, So yes we are, and water done well
is the only way to fix this now, and I
think this proves it.

Speaker 1 (02:53):
Oh Anita, I thank you so much. I'm so sorry,
and I thank you so much for your time today.
It is shocking, shocking. For more from early edition with
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