Editorial: Three Waters in turbulent straits amidst troubling undercurrents

Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta. Photo / Mark Mitchell, File

EDITORIAL

On a hot summer day in February this year, about 1500 residents of the coastal Otago towns of Waikouaiti and Karitāne were warned not to drink tap water. Tests had found it was contaminated with lead.

The contamination had actually been detected two months earlier but communication failings at the Dunedin City Council meant residents remained oblivious for weeks. By the time the investigation was in full swing, the water had cleared and the source could not be found. Lead joints in older pipes, environmental contamination in the wider catchment, or even sampling errors were all potential causes.

In response to the scare, the council embarked on a project to remove and replace lead joints in the network. The project had already been proposed, but was five years away.

Though the Otago example isn't typical of all of our water infrastructure, it's not rare either.

In local government, often little changes apace. With the exception of a few hardy veterans, mayors and councillors can cycle through every three years - many with the best of intentions. Council officers and management remain with careers dedicated to delivering long-term plans, long since approved and budgets locked in.

Now we live above infrastructure which councils do not have enough money to fix.

According to Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta, about $185 billion is needed to fix, upgrade and maintain New Zealand's critical water infrastructure over the next 30 years.

Currently, 43 of the 67 councils lack the revenue to cover existing water services' operating costs, let alone once infrastructure fails.

This Government has a mandate from the electorate at large to addess such issues. It would be ridiculed if it did not attempt reform. The Three Waters proposal also fits deftly within this Labour Government's ethos of centralisation.

Beyond the clear case for change, we have troubling undercurrents.

Firstly, the "bribe' of $2.5 billion for councils to roll over and accept the reforms. In the political realm where perception is as good as reality, this resembled an extortionate demand to surrender assets. Then, telling councils they could opt out but removing that offer when some did.

And the Scottish experience being touted as a paragon - on a landmass three and a half times smaller than Aotearoa New Zealand.

Changes to guardianship, retention, treatment or disposal of our water should seek cross-party support - if not in the detail, then at least in principle. Here, we have no suggestion of it, far from it.

As a result, National has vowed to roll the changes back. Yes, change is needed but more support should be pooled before such an essential commodity is drawn into political turbulence. When even the Green Party takes issue with a centre-left Labour administration, there is a problem.

New drinking water regulator Taumata Arowai will become fully operational once the Water Services Act 2021 comes into effect, as soon as Monday. Shouldn't this be enough to prove the Government is acting?

The minister should push out the timeline and tread water while taking another, genuine, look at the objections.