The Waitaki District Council will take on half the ‘‘cost of democracy'' as a rural drinking water supply is privatised.
A referendum "forced upon'' Dunrobin Water Management Inc by the Local Electoral Act in order to complete the transfer of the Dunrobin water supply to private ownership was not necessary, but rather "legislative nonsense'', Cr Guy Percival, of Fuchsia Creek, near Five Forks, said at the council's meeting this week.
The decision had already been made among the water supply's users and it was approved unanimously at a March 3 meeting, Cr Percival said, and the costs of the referendum, including the requirement to advertise it publicly, were "absurd''.
There were 43 voters among the 24 households and one forestry block the scheme supplied water to and the supply had operated independently, at no cost to the council, for 27 years.
Cr Percival declared a conflict of interest at the council meeting, he did not vote on the matter and spoke only during the public forum on behalf of Dunrobin Water Management Inc.
"We're not taking over infrastructure from council, it's all been put in by us,'' he said.
Dunrobin Water Supply secretary Andrew Kingan said a $174,000 upgrade that shifted the supply's intake to the Kakanui Range was fully funded by its users at no cost to the council.
The council approved the privatisation in October last year.
"As soon as we get the OK here and the referendum is finished, we are gone from council,'' he said.
With a cost estimated at $4500 to run the referendum, Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher said the cost of roughly $100 per vote appeared "ridiculous''.
He suggested the council meet Dunrobin Water Management Inc halfway and said the money could come from the anticipated surplus in 2015-16.
The council voted unanimously to take on half the costs of the referendum.
