Mike Baker
Bethlehem
No change needed
There is no sensible reason to establish a multibillion-dollar Three Waters authority.
If you take time to research water control incidents since Napier in 2016, you will find that local councils throughout our country have come a long way in identifying any problems smartly, and repairs have followed quickly and effectively.
Weather of every kind affects the actions of every council. Wet, dry, parched landscapes, storms and high wind speeds, stormwater flooding of homes, and wastewater threatening human health.
Councils must plan and respond urgently.
Experienced loyal and local contractors take the brief and get on with the job, using local knowledge, to repair damage and reinstate utilities.
If you're talking about drinking water quality, we have some of the best in the world.
Technically speaking our water is filtered with some of the most proven, quality products available and monitored by dedicated, quality teams, often some of the most job-passionate workers you could meet.
Nothing needs to change.
I challenge all New Zealanders to protest against Three Waters.
Russell McKenzie
Pāpāmoa
Not sustainable?
I listened to the council discussion on Monday on Three Waters and a remark about the existing water infrastructure model not being sustainable stood out.
Where did this come from?
Did the commissioners and Tauranga Council know this during the LTP debate only six months ago?
I do not recall it being mentioned then.
Looking at the TCC's Three Waters expenditure data, the majority of the spend over the next 10 years is on growth, not replacing a broken model.
Philip Brown
Pāpāmoa
Huge cost, huge loss
I keep hearing/reading about the proposed reform and, in my opinion, there has been a lack of transparency and misleading information regarding the benefits.
I note that one of the supposed benefits is that it takes the rates burden away from the ratepayer and places it firmly on the taxpayer.
Has it escaped everyone's attention that the ratepayer and taxpayer are the same person, so no benefit there?
No doubt there will be increased employment within the Government to cope with the additional management of this resource, and less for the local councils involved.
No doubt Central Government has all the necessary expertise available to cope, or are they assuming the local councils will be willing to share their expertise and workforce to prop up the Government employees who will have to work in the areas involved both locally and hands-on.
Presumably, these people will all have the degrees to suit this area of expertise let alone the hands-on experience.
The way I see it is that there will be a huge cost to the taxpayer to set this up and a huge loss to the ratepayer.
Dave Carreyett
Pyes Pa
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