Three Waters – Mahuta seems curiously bemused by the numbers of mayors who aren’t buying into her reform plan

When the rising tide of dissatisfaction about a key reform programme has reached a minister’s neck, it seems smart to consider turning off a tap, if not pulling the plug.      

But not Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta.  She is reported to be defending the Three Waters reform amid mounting criticism of the sort that was described like this in an Otago Daily Times editorial late last week:

“Opposition to the Government’s ambitious Three Waters plan is substantial, and for good reasons.”

The Three Waters are storm, drinking and wastewater.  

But although too much is unknown and/or uncertain about the government’s reform, the ODT noted, submissions from councils are to close at the end of the month.

Southern mayors have asked the Government to slow down the process and allow time for meaningful public engagement.

“This is the very least that should happen.”

Opposition to Mahuta’s grand design has been recorded throughout the country. 

Curiously, the Minister says she is “curious” about why she isn’t riding a winner – a remark that suggests she hasn’t bothered finding out.

She used that word in a TV One interview at the weekend: 

Mahuta told Q+A with Jack Tame that the opposition of several Northland councils was “curious” given the touted benefits, and that the proposals depended on everyone being in.

“The Far North and Kaipara will benefit significantly from these reforms, so it’s curious they’re taking such a strong position when there are many communities in the Far North that are still on boil water drinking notices.”

Mahuta said the issue needed to be seen in the context of decades of “underinvestment” in water networks.

“It’s not like it happened just yesterday. What we have is a government that is prepared to take on a very difficult and complex set of challenges, and propose to the sector – look, we can’t just carry on.”

Opposition politicians have been given good reason to denounce the Minister’s sense of righteousness.

This comes from National –

Labour must listen to the multitude of mayors pleading for the Three Waters plans to be dumped, National’s Local Government spokesperson Christopher Luxon says.

“With an overwhelming majority of councils not onboard, the Government’s programme is in dire straits and its four entity model is floundering fast.

Only a handful of mayors had explicitly supported the reforms, Luxon said, while the remaining 60-odd are not on board.

Many were urging the Government to suspend the process because they have not had adequate time to digest the detail or consult their communities.

“The South Island entity D is in serious doubt, with mayors from across the West Coast, Canterbury, Otago and Southland writing to the Minister and asking for a pause.

“The northern entity A has all but fallen apart, with Far North and Whangārei already gone and the remaining two councils, Auckland and Kaipara, in strong opposition and likely to leave next.

“Meanwhile, Hawke’s Bay mayors are against the reforms and other councils throughout entities B and C in areas like the Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Manawatū are hitting the brakes.

It was no surprise mayors were rebuking the Government’s woeful consultation timeframe and apparent need for speed, Luxon said.

National contends the supposed benefits and cost savings haven’t been adequately explained to the public and believes ratepayers would end up cross-subsidising neighbouring areas.

Moreover, the governing entities would strip power from communities and steal control of their water assets.

“The Government must heed the mayors’ calls and at a bare minimum, pause the programme immediately.

“I would encourage them to go one step further and dump the Three Waters plan altogether. We must keep the ‘local’ in local government.”

And this comes from ACT:

“Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta has shown staggering arrogance towards councils on Q+A this morning on the Government’s Three Waters policy,” says ACT Leader David Seymour.

“Many councils want nothing to do with Three Waters. Whangārei, for instance, has shown the Government’s cost benefit analysis for its Three Waters policy exaggerates the benefits five times over.

“The Minister could not explain why her plan would be five times better, simply insisting that the Government’s work was ‘peer reviewed.’ She forgot to say that Whangārei’s analysis was a peer review by international economics consultancy Castalia.

“Asked if the Government would simply legislate objecting councils into its scheme, the Minister dodged the question. It’s clear the Government intends to bully councils when its hapless attempts at persuasion fails.”

Seymour noted that councils which don’t buy in to the Government’s scheme won’t get taxpayer subsidies through central Government.

But the Government’s proposed Governance model

“… is so complicated and remote from the citizen, Councils would rather refuse taxpayer money than be part of it.”

ACT’s solution acknowledges the challenge some, but not all, councils face managing Three Waters Seymour said.

It allows councils to form their own voluntary water co-operatives with neighbours if they choose.

“ACT’s solution uses 30-year plans with central Government for each council and region. These partnerships, along with public private partnerships to attract investment capital, would allow councils to reach higher standards for Three Waters, without using dodgy modelling to force an unwieldy Governance structure on unwilling councils.”

When it comes to the crunch, as TV One reported at the weekend, the reform of The Three Waters is proving to be a far more contentious issue than the government expected.