YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER |MARCH 2020 | No.213
THE COATESVILLE CHRONICLE Email coatesvillechronicle@gmail.com | ph 021 724 001 | online coatesvillechronicle.com Harbour Water's owner, runs six trucks, making his business one of Auckland's largest water carriers. He says his staff have worked very hard to try and meet customer needs, working long days and dealing with stressed property owners while feeling exhausted themselves. But they are beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel. "We're back to about a seven-day wait," says Gary, "but when Watercare closed off the filling stations in Helensville and Wellsford, all those trucks came down here to fill up and the queues got huge. Gary Taylor from North Harbour Water in the queue at the Albany filling station "Watercare's answer was to put extra tankers on the road but they also had to fill up at the same stations, so queues just got longer," he says. his summer's severe drought has seen governing how many hours a driver can Like many locals, Gary believes the some residents waiting weeks for their continuously work in a shift. Everyone increase in the number of homes water delivery to arrive. Many have has been under tremendous pressure. being built in the north and north west run out of water, some people have had At the start of the drought, all carriers without infrastructure for mains water to leave their homes temporarily while ran waiting lists, but at the height of supply, is largely to blame. The capacity others have stayed, buying bottled water, the water shortage, some stopped using laundromats and hand-filling animal answering their phones as they couldn't of the existing number of filling troughs. offer service and people were becoming stations and water carrier companies is no longer enough to keep the Although water carriers have worked desperate. community's taps running during a overtime to meet demand, their business Since mid-January, North Harbour crisis like this year's climate change is seasonal. Operators don't have extra Water has delivered on average emergency. vehicles and staff standing-by in times 800,000L of water per day to And, with Auckland's total water of drought that they can simply put customers in Coatesville and the on the road. There are also restrictions surrounding area. Gary Taylor, North Continued on page 2.
Long wait for water T
Pest Free Coatesville
Pest animal eradication is stepping up March at the Settlers Hall. On the in Coatesville with a community-wide night, they hope to enlist support project now underway. Local, Gary from residents who will volunteer Langridge, who formed the Sunnyside their time to support the cause. Road Pest Free Trust last year, is joining "The project's success is entirely forces with property dependent on local owners, Garden Club people getting members and Hana involved," explains Aickin of Auckland Gary. "We've divided Council's Environmental Coatesville into four Services Unit, to mount areas and to start an ongoing programme Thursday 12 March with, we're seeking to rid Coatesville of rats, four people who can 7.10pm stoats and possums. act as champions to The PFC group will lead activities in their Settlers Hall present their strategy area." to the community at a Continued on page 5. public meeting on 12
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MARCH CONTENTS 3 March news Coatesville Golf 4 Classic 2020 Mincher recognised 5 Half marathon 6 madness CRRA, Local Board 8 and MP updates 9 Vals' butterfly 10 house 11 Classifieds The election effect 12