Opinion: Three Waters Reform far from finalised

Kāpiti Coast mayor K Gurunathan.

Weekly column by Kāpiti mayor K Gurunathan.

At the Local Government New Zealand conference in July, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and her Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta gave councils eight weeks to respond.

Respond to an analysis of the status of the three waters serviced by councils across the country undertaken by the Government's consultant Water Industry Commission of Scotland (WICS).

It was trumpeted as an evidence-based rationale underpinning the need to reform the management of the three waters by councils. While we cannot speak for other councils, the WICS analysis used an averaging methodology across the sector which negatively skewed Kāpiti's performance across the status of our infrastructure, projected debt levels, service levels and costs per ratepayer.

Our response completely demolished WICS' analysis.

The substance of our response was shared with our ratepayers by council's CEO in a three-part editorial in the Kāpiti News.

It was really a kick in the guts, when the Government decided to mandate the reform by amalgamating all the councils three waters services into four big entities without responding directly to the 'submissions' of councils.

For Kāpiti, it's particularly galling because over the last eight years we have invested and managed our three waters, especially our portable water supply, and have largely produced the outcomes the Government's reform is looking for.

When the Auditor General's Office undertook a comparative analysis of the demand management of the water supply by four councils, Kāpiti came out looking the poster kid on how to do this.

So despite this exemplar performance, Kāpiti has become collateral damage to the Government's reform.

I agree a reform, neglected by consecutive governments, is long overdue but there needs to be equity.

Kāpiti has largely steered a rational route, particularly avoiding the partisan politics, that has crept into the local government sector's engagement with the Government.

I sent KCDC's 'submission' to the then opposition local government spokesman Christopher Luxon.

Now opposition leader, Luxon described our submission as "outstanding".

I sent the submission and the AG's report on demand management accompanying a letter to Minister Nanaia Mahuta.

It was copied to our two local MPs Barbara Edmonds and Terisa Ngobi.

Following a motion with unanimous support by councillors, the letter requested a meeting with the Minister to state our case for equity.

We are still awaiting an acknowledgement and response.

The good news is that the government has finally agreed to directly acknowledge the eight-week letter (submission) to the Government and respond to the issues raised.

It is to be a customised response to each council's specific issues.

We expect to receive it early in the new year.

For me their customised response to the issues we raised will benchmark whether we have confidence in the ability of the government to have a rational conversation on equity with us or we abandon our Switzerland-type neutrality and good faith.

You can expect to hear what DIA has to say to us next year.