Porirua City Council's dipping into its debt to fund pipe fix-ups as rates go up

Council's agreed to a 9.7 percent rates rise and is giving an extra 3.6-million-dollars towards Wellington Water, half of which will be funded by debt.

Porirua City Chief Executive Wendy Walker says the council is in a rough patch.

She says water reform has introduced uncertainty at a difficult time in the budget process -- and believes it'll make Council's Long Term Plan even more challenging.