Transcript
Te Mato Vai, which was costed at $NZ60 million dollars at its launch, aims to provide potable water to households and businesses across the island.
The China Civil Engineering and Construction Company, or CCECC, was contracted to build Stage One, with China providing a soft loan of $NZ25 dollars, New Zealand an aid grant of $15 million for the second stage, and the Cook Islands contributing the remainder.
A completed Stage One was handed over last year and according to the Cook Islands News, leaks were detected almost immediately.
The paper says the government wants CCECC to replace 17 kilometres of the pipeline, though according to the paper the company has not accepted liability.
Rarotonga resident Chris Holford used to project manage major subdivision developments in New Zealand and Australia.
He says it was obvious from day one that CCECC was using inferior material and problems would result.
Mr Holford says key issues are the softwall pipe being used and the couplings between the lengths of pipe.
CHRIS HOLFORD:......The way the softwall pipe is being laid here, it is being squashed in the middle. And it's got these hard couplings on each end. It's nine metre pipe, if you can imagine, and a hard plastic coupling at each end and the pipe is being squashed or flattened through the centre the way it is being laid in the ground. What it is doing is pulling the ends off the couplings.
DON WISEMAN; And that is already happening is it?
CH: Yeah it's already happening.
DW: So what would your advice be to the Cook Islands Government?
CH: They need to pull it all up and do it again.
The government brought in New Zealand infrastructure consultants Opus but this report has not been made public.
While Stage Two, being built by New Zealand firm McConnell Dowell is well underway, the overall cost of the project has now soared to $NZ90 million - a fifty percent increase - but deputy prime minister Mark Brown refuses to characterise that as a blow out.
He says it is because the original agreement was reached five years ago and there have also been delays through stage one.
And Mr Brown says they have been promised more aid money from New Zealand.
"New Zealand has just confirmed with us that New Zealand will contribute more than the original amount they committed to, to ensure that the project is completed to satisfaction. So we are very happy that New Zealand is going to contribute some funds. We were in a position to absorb those additions costs ourselves but it is great to hear that New Zealand is also coming on board."
Meanwhile the opposition Democratic Party's leader, Terepai Maoate, is furious at the ballooning cost and apparent failure of Stage One.
"We've supported - we had to put it through parliament to support the increase. Not that we wanted to. I really feel that before we go any further, it could by the sound of it, we may end up going [for] a lot more than 50 percent - extra $30 million on top of the $60 million, I for one and a lot of people in the Cook Islands do not want to end up paying some debt where we find we may have to rebuild the whole programme."
The Cook Islands News says the government is planning to take CCECC to court to force them to repair the work, but that is yet to be confirmed by Mark Brown..
New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it is happy for the Cooks to use some of its aid grant for the repairs.
A spokesman says the ministry is aware of quality concerns with respect to the ring-mains built by CCECC.
But he says all partners remain committed to seeing Te Mato Vai succeed in achieving a quality water system for the Cooks.
Overall, New Zealand is contributing $NZ67.7 million in development assistance to the Cook Islands in the current three year funding cycle.
The spokesman says the bulk of this is for infrastructure projects and $NZ13m of which is earmarked for asset maintenance and MFAT is happy for this to be used for any repairs to water ring-main.
