pn963. Three Waters explained

 

The Three Waters legislation concerns waste water, storm water and drinking water. 

The legislation proposes that the existing 67 local councils  hand over their control of the three waters to four semi-autonomous regional councils by July 2024. The councils are not being replaced. They will continue to operate as before but their control over the three waters will be taken over by the new "super" councils. 

That something urgently needs to be done about our waters is not disputed. Think of the campylobacter-polluted water that made more than 8,000 people sick in Havelock North where 45 were hospitalised and many were left permanently disabled, and four died. Think also of  the frequent  overflowing drains in Wellington City and Auckland's contaminated beaches after heavy rain. 

Our water infrastructure needs between $130-180 billion to fix. Local councils should have been spending money on replacing pipes that are in places 100 years old but have been fearful of raising rates and losing their seats. 

Working groups comprisng mayors and iwi agreed to 44 of  the proposed 47 changes. Why, then, the opposition to the legislation? For a full explanation see what Emily Writes and Simon Wilson have this to  say  in E-Tangata. My summary follows:

 Essentially, opposition stems from four sources.

1. Provincial and rural councils claim  it is a theft of ratepayers assets, and they could do a better job themselves.  (Yet the assets would remain public property and the evidence is that that haven't done a better job themselves.)

2. Many local mayors are members of the National Party that has said it will repeal and amend the legislation if it wins the next election. ACT is also opposed to the legislation.

3. Auckland's Watercare authority is doing a reasonable job already and has spent large sums on water infrastrcuture for several years. The new legislatin would see it saddled with Northland's problems and costs when they are joined as a regional council.

4. Simon Wilson says “Water is a taonga and is explicitly recognised in the Treaty of Waitangi. Some manner of partnership between the Crown and tangata whenua is therefore required.”  

The co-governance element in the proposed legislation is seen by some as evidence that the Labour government it being nose-led by its Māori caucus, and that Māori are being given a disproportionate say in the management of public assets.  Yet Chris Findlayson, Treaty Minister in the previous National Government, says co-goverance is not to be confused with co-government and should be embraced not feared.  

One suspects there is a fair degree of racism in opposition to the legislation.

It will be interesting to see how the new Prime Minister deals with the issue.

Happy Waitangi Day!

-- ACW

Government announcement  https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/government-protect-vital-public-water-services-future-generations