Thousands of people have been marching in protest against water privatisation this afternoon, even though Rodney Hide has offered an assurance it is not going to happen.
Demonstrators have gathered outside council buildings in Hamilton, Dunedin, Hutt, Thames and Auckland.
But the Local Government Minister says they are wasting their time, because water assets are not for sale.
Mr Hide said local bodies have been able to enter public-private partnerships (PPPs) for some time, and the Government supports that.
He said councils wanted to provide services, but sometimes lacked the capital or the expertise needed. Entering a PPP allowed them to retain control.
He also said PPPs for water schemes needed to run for a longer period, to reflect the economic lifespan of water assets.
Meanwhile, one rates campaigner is disgusted the North Shore City Council has bought a newspaper ad to encourage protesters.
David Thornton from NoMoreRates said such protests were fine as they kept up awareness of the issue. But he disagreed with councils putting out what he calls "untrue propaganda" in order to raise fears.
Mr Thornton said North Shore City Council's claim that establishing the new Auckland council required volumetric charging for wastewater was completely untrue.
- NEWSTALK ZB
Thousands march against privatisation
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.
