Porirua mayor Anita Baker. Photo: RNZ / Reece Baker
Porirua's mayor Anita Baker has blasted Wellington's mayor and councillors' "disgraceful" proposal to sack Wellington Water board chairperson Nick Leggett.
Two reports into the water entity released this week have found poor financial oversight and contractor management, and a maintenance spend far higher than some other councils.
In a covering note attached to the AECOM report, Wellington Water said its higher spend was because the network was older and in poorer condition - so it broke frequently and cost more to fix.
Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau and most councillors wrote to shareholding councils on Thursday asking it to remove Nick Leggett as board chairperson, saying they did not have confidence in him, and the public was right to be angry.
Wellington mayor Tory Whanau. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
But Porirua's mayor Anita Baker has defended Leggett and said she was "pretty mad" when she read the letter.
"It's like a vindictive try to just to go after one person," she said.
"Why do you take down the head of the board, who has been in there and done the job you asked him, and then you don't like the report? It sounds like children, the things they have written, it was just disgraceful."
Baker said Wellington Water must be held to account, and the public needed answers, but Whanau and the councillors went the wrong way about it.
"You just don't do this to one person, it's not a business type thing to do," she said.
"Come on people, get together, work it out, hear from the board on Monday."
RNZ put Baker's comments to Whanau.
She did not respond to the comments directly, but said "systematic and widespread" failures at Wellington Water had decimated public confidence.
"Wellington ratepayers deserve accountability. We will not tolerate Wellington contractors clipping the ticket at their expense," she said.
"We are seeking transparency and a clear plan to rectify the financial damage caused to our ratepayers."
Whanau looked forward to discussing her and other councillors' proposals with the Wellington Water Committee "to ensure our ratepayers get the outcomes they deserve from Wellington Water".
Wellington Water was due to front its shareholding councils - Wellington City, Greater Wellington, Porirua, Hutt City, Upper Hutt and South Wairarapa - at a meeting on Monday.
Wellington Water chairperson Nick Leggett. Photo: RNZ / Reece Baker
Baker said if Leggett wanted to resign, that was his call, but she hoped he did not because he worked well with new chief executive Pat Dougherty.
On Tuesday Leggett told Morning Report he was "taking soundings" on whether he should resign after the reports - but he could also help with the fix.
On Thursday he said he would not comment before Monday's meeting with the shareholding committee "as is appropriate in these situations".
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