Regulate water suppliers - report

Photo / Greg Bowker

A report on the future of New Zealand's fresh water resources yesterday recommended setting up a new national regulator to oversee the pricing and performance of water utilities including Auckland's Watercare Services.

The Land and Water Forum, which comprises 58 businesses, industry organisations, iwi and conservation groups, also proposed a new National Land and Water Commission to advise the Government on water management issues.

Forum chairman Alastair Bisley said that although New Zealand's fresh water was still comparatively good, "its quality and availability havebeen deteriorating, and we must take steps on several fronts to reverse this trend".

The report recommends rationalisation of 67 council water supply and wastewater utilities.

While plans to amalgamate Auckland's water services into a single entity - Watercare Services - are now in place, the Royal Commission on Auckland Governance's recommendation for audit oversight of the new organisation has not been picked up and questions remain over pricing for wastewater services.

Local authority plans indicate that $11.46 billion in capital investment and $17 billion in operational spending on urban water services is required over the next eight years.

Meanwhile, the forum said the National Land and Water Commission should be established "on a co-governance basis with iwi".

Maori Party MP Te Ururoa Flavell welcomed the proposal.

"We expect all future arrangements to continue to enable whanau, hapu and iwi to play an active part in the freshwater management processes."

- ADDITIONAL REPORTING: NZPA