Bayden Barber: Unified approach to water needed

Bayden Barber.

As a new councillor, it is plain to see that the public perception on water issues is that "Councils just need to sort it out".

There is no delineation between whose specific responsibility it is (Regional, District or City), ratepayers just want the issues sorted.

At the end of the day people expect to drink clean water from the tap and not feel like they are getting ripped off by foreign water exporters when asked to tighten their belts and conserve water. It's pretty simple really!

Councils can be a bit process oriented, and while concentrating only on their own patches, the big picture can become a bit blurry. Public discontent regarding water restrictions is another wake-up call for Councils. I use Councils in the plural because residents cant understand why restrictions are in place when we've allowed companies to export our best water. The fact that they are managed by different local authorities is a moot point.

We need to re-think our approach to addressing the issue of water. It can't be an 'us' versus 'them', Council versus Council approach. You might win some points in a courtroom, but what really is achieved from the exercise? And at who's cost? All people are interested in is fixing the problem and Councils need to be seen to be doing this ... together!

Now I may be new to Council, but to me the issue is more around relationships than it is around pipes, pumps and bottling plants. Don't get me wrong, there infrastructural issues that need to be addressed urgently, but in the long term, if we can get the relationships right 'the rest' as they say, 'will follow'.

So how do I see us moving forward? In the Māori world, issues are resolved by kōrero, kanohi-ki-te-kanohi (talking face to face), with the marae as the place where issues would be debated until a solution was reached. The difference between the marae and the courtroom is that both parties leave with their mana intact and normally with an agreed direction of travel moving forward.

My suggestion is that a 'water summit' is held for the Hastings District and HB Regional Councils. The summit would be an opportunity for governance (elected Councillors) to discuss the issues face to face. Facilitation could be provided by respected community leaders such as Kevin Atkinson from the DHB and / or Ngahiwi Tomoana from Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated. Any conversation on water should include tangata whenua. The iwi will bring a context to the water issue that is broader and will help ensure the outcomes of the meeting are achieved under a unified approach (kotahitanga).

There will of course need to be further conversations around the detail, however this specific meeting would be focused on governance developing a unified vision for water in Hawke's Bay and laying a foundation for the future.

Nōu te rourou, nāku te rourou, ka ora ai te iwi. Let's pull together for the benefit of all.

- Bayden Barber is a Hastings district councillor.