Wellington Water's board chair has stepped down in the wake of the Moa Point wastewater failure, saying leaders must accept responsibility "in actions as well as words".
Nick Leggett announced his resignation earlier this morning, with his last day in the role on Monday. Wellington Water deputy board chair Bill Bayfield will act as interim chair until a permanent replacement is confirmed.
In a statement, Leggett described the Moa Point failure as "deeply serious", acknowledging its environmental, public health and community impacts.
"Crises like these undermine public trust in institutions, and we won't begin restoring that trust until leaders accept responsibility, in actions as well as words," he said.
"The failure at Moa Point is deeply serious. It has had environmental, public health and community impacts that none of us should take lightly.
Raw sewage continues to spew onto the capital’s coastline after a treatment plant flooded last week. (Source: 1News)
"While the operational causes of this event will be independently examined by a government review, leadership carries responsibility."
Leggett said his decision was intended to remove distraction and keep focus on remediation and transparency during what he called "a difficult period ahead" for Wellington.
"There is a great deal of commentary and blame circulating," he said.
"My decision is intended to remove distraction and allow the focus to remain squarely on remediation, transparency, and learning. Wellingtonians deserve clarity as the Mayor and council, and other responsible organisations, navigate this difficult period ahead.
"Strong organisations improve when those in leadership roles are prepared to stand up in difficult moments. That is what I am doing."
Frustration is growing in the capital as wastewater continues to pour into the ocean. (Source: 1News)
The Moa Point wastewater plant's lower floors were completely flooded earlier this month when sewage backed up in a 1.8km outfall pipe, sending raw sewage spilling out from a five-metre pipe directly into Wellington's southern coastline.
The flooding caused beach closures off the capital's south coast, with officials saying repairs could take months.
A review is set to examine the root causes of the failure, and Leggett said he would contribute to that process as required.
He remains the chief executive of lobby group Infrastructure New Zealand. Leggett has previously served as Porirua's mayor and as a local government politician.
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