'It's obviously burst - that's why it looks like that and it's not high on the priority list to fix, 'cause we've got other stuff we've got to do.' 'There's a wee hole in the ceiling of my office where the water comes through and collects in the paint,' Walker said. In the district council offices in Waipawa, Mayor Alex Walker's office has a hole above her desk. There's problems all around the country, but all the water's falling apart, we're shitting in our rivers, as long as my kid can swim in the river in a few years and we get fresh water to our houses yeah, I don't have a problem with it,' Tony of Waipawa said. 'Personally I'd rather not have rates rises, but I don't know, personally too busy at life at the moment to not think too much about it,' Jacqui from Ōtane said. 'Of course we're getting free water and everything but still, you know it's too expensive for our little town like Waipukurau,' Michelle said. Residents had mixed views on the possible rates hikes. Its two main towns, Waipukurau and Waipawa, are only minutes apart on State Highway 2.

That's up from an annual average of 3 percent over the last seven years.Ĭentral Hawke's Bay is home to about 15,000 people.

In the council's new long-term plan, it is proposing rates rises of between 7 and 13 percent each year over the next five years.

Waipawa in central Hawke's Bay Photo: RNZ / Tom KitchinĬentral Hawke's Bay Mayor Alex Walker acknowledges it will be tough - but says the state of the infrastructure is frightening.

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