“Who is best to decide what the community needs? It is the people you elected in your local area and if we do that with some clear expectation on water quality and sustainable timely investment in infrastructure maintenance and development, that has to be a good outcome for local people.”
Gisborne city had suffered badly in the last cyclone due to damaged water infrastructure.
It had experienced firsthand the disruption that came when nature dealt a hefty blow to essential services.
“We know better than anyone that we need good infrastructure and we do not want to be competing for attention with our neighbours,” Ms Kirkpatrick said.
“Under the 10 entities proposed in the water reform, there will be more bureaucracy and more cost. Ten entities and operations will always cost more. The duplication continues and more money will be wasted — an increasingly obvious talent of the Labour Government.
Tomorrow’s meeting will also include discussion of environmental issues facing the region, highlighted as the region faces the ongoing recovery from the devastating effects of Cyclones Gabrielle and Hale.
National’s spokesman for cyclone recovery Chris Penk will be in Gisborne on Monday to look at this in more detail.
