Further detail has been released about the proposed Three Waters reforms, and local mayors aren't impressed. Photo / Warren Buckland
Further detail has been released about the proposed Three Waters reforms, and local mayors aren't impressed. Photo / Warren Buckland
Hawke's Bay mayors are vowing to fight proposed Three Waters legislation after apparent rejection of a regional model for the Bay.
Instead, the Government is sticking with a four-entities structure, the four local bodies in the Hawke's Bay Regional Council to be partnered with 17 other councils from the EastCoast of the North Island to the top of the South Island and including the Chatham Islands
As part of its reform, Government intends introducing the Water Services Bill to Parliament in the next few months, creating the publicly-owned water entities to assume responsibility for drinking, storm and waste water from July 2024.
In December councils discussed their concerns with a Government working group to which they put the Hawke's Bay region solution.
Central Hawke's Bay Mayor Alex Walker is not surprised the recommendations are "silent on the option … because the region has been the lone voice with a credible regional alternative".
"We have done the work to show that a Hawke's Bay model of ownership and delivery can deliver significant financial and non-financial benefits to our people. We have shown a united and collaborative solution, built from the bottom up.
"A Hawke's Bay water service delivery model offers a credible and sustainable solution providing for regional co-governance with tangata whenua and ensuring local asset ownership, accountability and decision making and we will keep reiterating that," she said.
Napier Mayor Kirsten Wise said the working group goes "only some way" to addressing critical issues raised by Hawke's Bay. Photo / NZME
The working group was formed to consider how local representation, governance and accountability arrangements could be strengthened in the draft legislation.
Delivering its report to Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta on Tuesday it recommended some changes, including a public shareholding structure to protect community ownership, with shares held by councils on behalf of their communities.
It has inserted a sub-regional committee structure designed to ensure local voices are considered in investment prioritisation and the establishment of a Water Services Ombudsman, and ensures co-governance embracing te ao Māori to improve Three Waters service delivery and environmental protection.
Napier Mayor Kirsten Wise said the working group goes "only some way" to addressing critical issues raised by Hawke's Bay and recommendations are a "once-over-lightly attempt to address our very real concerns that Hawke's Bay's voice will be lost from decision-making, along with local asset ownership".
"The notion of sub-regional groups feeding into the so-called regional representative groups simply adds another layer of accountability between local communities and the multi-region entities," she said.
"How will that deliver a strong voice for the people of Hawke's Bay?"
To Wairoa Mayor Craig Little the recommendations reflect the "narrow confines" in which the working group was working, and it's "another tick-box exercise".
"The Government needs to take a pause and start listening to the communities that own the water assets," he said.
Hastings District Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said the group hadn't addressed the issue of the "confiscation of community assets without compensation".
"Our community wants their water assets to remain in their ownership, in their district, and the shareholding option doesn't address that," she said.
"We have a credible and sustainable alternative solution that would support regional economic, social and environmental priorities and satisfy the expectations of our communities that control of our region's Three Waters assets and services will stay in the Bay."
Cabinet decisions on final details of the bill are expected in time for the legislation's introduction to Parliament next month, with a Select Committee calling for public submissions mid-year.
