PM Chris Hipkins and Local Government Minister Kieran McAnulty scrap a major part of the unpopular Three Waters reforms, ditching the four mega entities that would have delivered Three Waters services to households. Video / Mark Mitchell
The Government’s changes to the Three Waters policy have drawn a mixed reaction from regional mayors.
The four major original entities have been scrapped and replaced with 10 entities roughly alongside the existing boundaries of the 16 regional councils, the Government announced today.
The Government wants the new policy - named “Affordable Water Reforms” - to be up and running by 2026.
The new entities will allow councils more direct engagement with the water entities that will manage water services on their behalf.
Local Government New Zealand President Stuart Crosby said one thing the vast majority of the country’s 78 councils agree on is that water reform is necessary.
Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau told the Herald the city council has always supported the reform policy.
“We need a much bigger investment into the infrastructure and the entity because we cannot afford it as a council and we cannot afford to put it onto ratepayers,” she said.
Wairoa Mayor Craig Little said the policy reset is a great step in the right direction.
Wairoa Mayor Craig Little thinks the change is step in the right direction. Photo / NZME
“It has great merits and it’s not such a big beast with the four entities,” he said.
“Hawke’s Bay was working on this way before the initial policy and it was great to see [Local Government Minister] Kieran McNaulty acknowledge that.”
However, Malborough Mayor Nadine Taylor said the changes do not solve any of the key issues around the reform programme.
“Marlborough’s voice will be greater with a three-council Top of the South entity than it would have been with the mega-Entity C stretching all the way up the North Island’s East Coast,” she said.
“Marlborough ratepayers have invested heavily in our water infrastructure, particularly in recent years, and our communities feel a very strong sense of ownership of those assets.”
Crosby, Little and Whanau are all happy the Government took their concerns into consideration.
Crosby said it is a genuine shift and responds to key parts of local government’s feedback.
Whanau said a good part of the new version is that the mayor will be able to feed up into the entity on behalf of ratepayers.
“It ensures that we have a local voice, which has been a great concern for the public.”
Little said, while there are still a few nuts and bolts that need to work out, he commends the Government for taking on feedback and looking into making changes.
The Herald has contacted the Auckland mayors’ offices for comment.
