Wairoa fears being left behind in Three Waters reforms

Wairoa mayor Craig Little is worried councils like his would be left behind should the Government move to multi-regional entities in its Three Waters reform. Photo / File

Hawke's Bay representatives might make up one-fifth of the group helping leading the Three Waters reform, but Wairoa mayor Craig Little still worries areas like his might get left behind.

Relating to how councils manage drinking water, wastewater and stormwater, the Three Waters Steering Committee includes 15 local government sector members, who have been nominated by Local Government New Zealand and Taituarā.

Hawke's Bay makes up three of these positions, with Hastings district councillor Bayden Barber, Central Hawke's Bay District Council chief executive Monique Davidson and mayor Alex Walker.

While Little feels they have a good understanding of the issues faced, particularly by provincial and rural communities, he still worries places like Wairoa will miss out if the Government sets up multi-regional entities.

"They'll make savings across the board but we'll miss out I believe," he said.

"We'll be the poor cousins.

"The conversation should be how much money are we going to spend on setting up these national organisations and how much money are we going to have to spend to get all our systems, under one regulator, up to scratch."

He felt the reform process hadn't allowed for communities to be consulted about what they'd like the reforms to look like.

Wairoa mayor Craig Little feels communities have been left behind in the Three Waters reform process and worries places like Wairoa would end up "the poor cousins". Photo / File

"At the moment communities have say in the direction of their [water], in the future they won't.

"We've landed to a place where decisions have already been made rather than having conversations with people.

"Bigger isn't always better."

Little said he would have liked to see more iwi and operational staff represented on the steering committee, not just mayors and chief executives.

"I would have liked to see people represented from all over the country."

A new water regulator, Taumata Arowai, was established as part of the reforms in July last year.

Little would like to see it given more power, enabling councils to do what they needed to meet improved water standards while allowing for more time to engage with their communities.

"They can start doing the mahi now.

"I don't think any council is discounting the fact they have problems with their three waters."

The question of multi-regional entities was also of concern to Hawke's Bay Regional Council chairman Rex Graham, who echoed some of Little's comments.

"I just can't understand how they think somebody in Wellington would even know where Mohaka and Porangahau are and the issues they face."

He said it appeared the Government was on a trail to centralise Three Waters regulation.