Can’t see how Nats’ water policy would work

Lara Meyer

Opinion

by Lara Meyer

I attended National’s Three Waters information session held at Forces Cafe on April 20 to get a better sense of what National’s stance is regarding the repair, future-proofing and management of water infrastructure in our rohe.

About 13 people attended the session facilitated by National’s Coromandel MP Scott Simpson and Dana Kirkpatrick the local National candidate.

About 45 minutes into the session, I asked Mr Simpson to speak to National’s plan for water management. This is what I heard.

There are approximately 67 regional entities with failing water management infrastructure across Aotearoa NZ.

The current government is saying the cost of repairs, upgrades and future-proofing all water infrastructure is going to be around $120 billion over the next 30 years.

It seems National might be downplaying the actual amount fixing our water is going to cost.

I’m wondering how our 25,000 ratepayers are going to pay our share of such an enormous sum to upgrade our infrastructure?

MP Simpson said National will force councils to fix their own infrastructure then ensure every council complies into the future.

Water infrastructure is only one of the many things that rates pay for and even taking into account borrowings and funding from central government, how are small regions like ours supposed to pay for and complete all the work which is overdue now and we can see the results of our antiquated water infrastructure?

What National is proposing sounds like what already happens and our council already can’t afford to fix anything properly. I just can’t see how National’s policy is going to work.

Some people at the session mentioned their concern that central government wanted to “steal their assets”. What assets? The broken water pipeline? The inadequate and ancient sewer pipes? The overwhelmed stormwater drainage infrastructure? It’s all worthless now and without the help of central government I doubt any council will be able to fix anything properly.

We’re only 5 million people in a small nation at the bottom of the world and no one of us “owns” any of the water.

We all own the gnarly problem of trying to fix our infrastructure and stop ruining our environment. Let central government pay for it and let’s all own all the water as a nation.

I left as soon as someone starting talking about “Meowrees”.

Good luck National, you’ve got your work cut out for you to polish this turd of a policy before October.