Carterton councillors have unanimously agreed to double the Dalefield Rd Pump Station project budget to $1.2 million.
At last week’s full council meeting, elected members ratified a decision made over email last month to increase the project’s budget.
At the meeting, it was explained that in order to meet the project’s November 2023 deadline, a resolution was urgently needed to increase the budget before staff could formally engage and make commitments to the preferred supplier.
Councillors were emailed on January 27 to consider approving the additional budget.
Eight of nine councillors responded in writing, approving the additional budget.
No votes were recorded against the resolution.
The decision was formally ratified on Wednesday.
Chief executive Geoff Hamilton said formal ratification of the decision in the public forum was crucial to maintaining transparency and trust in council decisions.
The risk of not approving the increased budget was that Carterton District Council would not have a pump station to enable the use of new water storage tanks.
The pump station project would be funded with $836k from water reserves, and $364k from new waters borrowing.
The council anticipated this debt would be transferred to the new water services entity in July 2024.
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