Hawke's Bay mayors remain against Three Waters model but say their new campaign isn't 'anti'

Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said she would support a potential national Three Waters headquarters being based in Hastings. Photo / Paul Taylor

Hawke's Bay's central and local government representatives are poles apart, but still managing to find common ground over the Government's controversial Three Waters proposal.

Hawke's Bay's city and district councils announced on Friday that they will launch a Three Waters public information campaign "Have your say Hawke's Bay" on June 12.

The region's mayors said the aim is to improve public knowledge and encourage people to make submissions to Parliament about the Three Waters reforms.

The Government is proposing a co-governance system managing wastewater, stormwater and drinking under a Regional Representation Group made up of mana whenua and local councils with oversight of four new water entities for the entire nation.

Local councils will have collective ownership of the four new water entities under a shareholding structure based on area population.

The Hawke's Bay councils will be part of Entity C, which makes up the East Coast of the North Island.

The mayors say their campaign is not anti-Three Waters, but they acknowledge that their own submission would not be supporting the Government proposal, and would be promoting a regional version of Three Waters.

The mayors' campaign announcement coincided with Labour Tukituki MP Anna Lorck calling this week for Hastings to become the future headquarters of Three Waters - both as an eastern water entity and national HQ.

On Friday, a press conference announcing their campaign, the mayors said they supported Lorck's HQ idea if Three Waters proceeded as per the Government proposal.

Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said the mayors wanted what was best for the region.

"We would say: Wellington, the Crown, why wouldn't we put this in our region?

"We are leaders in this, we are the only region that has taken a model to the Government to look after our [own] Three Waters.

Wairoa Mayor Craig Little attends the press conference announcing Have Your Say Hawke's Bay through Zoom. Photo / Paul Taylor

"This headquarters does not need to be in Wellington, why couldn't it be here in Hawke's Bay?"

However, the councils still plan to submit to Parliament independently and collectively in support of their own alternative Hawke's Bay regional Three Waters model.

WE'RE ANTI, BUT OUR CAMPAIGN ISN'T

Wairoa Mayor Craig Little, Napier Mayor Kirsten Wise, Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst and Central Hawke's Bay Mayor Alex Walker are long-time supporters of a Hawke's Bay regional Three Waters model over the Government model.

Wise believed it was unlikely the Hawke's Bay model would be considered, however they would still advocate for it as they believed it was best for their communities.

The councils are yet to work on their collective submission, but said their existing concerns around local representation and asset ownership have not changed.

The mayors collectively said the new campaign was "absolutely not" an attempt to drum up opposition to the reforms.

"To be clear, we want people to know the facts and know they can have their say; we're not telling them what to say.

Napier Mayor Kirsten Wise in foreground and Central Hawke's Bay Mayor Alex Walker on screen at the press conference announcing Have Your Say Hawke's Bay. Photo / Paul Taylor

"This campaign is about the reforms that are coming, encouraging people to find out what the changes mean for them, and encouraging people to have their say to Parliament on what they think should be the future for their three waters services."

Altogether the campaign will cost the councils $139,000.

HQ LOBBYING

Lorck said locating the national headquarters of Three Waters in Hastings could create hundreds of jobs in a new water workforce and bring economic benefits to the region.

"The Havelock North water crisis was the catalyst for Three Waters, it forced us into action. Today, Hastings is also a brilliant example of the future, because when we turn on our new drinking water treatment and storage system, it will be world class."

She said Hastings' co-governance model had delivered a world-leading result for wastewater planning and treatment.

"Hastings is seven years ahead of the rest of New Zealand on our drinking water knowledge and results, and the country is learning from us.

"As Three Waters HQ, there would also be far wider benefits, especially for Central Hawke's Bay, as the next big growth area of our region."

Lorck said having the HQ based in Hawke's Bay would further demonstrate it's not just about Wellington.

"We have 1000 more new houses planned for Havelock North, developments like this require massive new public water infrastructure.

Labour Tukituki MP Anna Lorck is calling for Hastings to become both the eastern water entity and national headquarters of Three Waters. Photo / Supplied

"As a member of the FEC [Finance and Expenditure Select Committee], where the submissions will be heard, I hope to see and hear from many people from HB, especially as Havelock North has been the catalyst for Three Waters."

LITTLE'S STAND

While the councils' presented a united view at the press conference, they still hold differing views over their individual responses to Three Waters.

Wairoa Mayor Craig Little has been one of the most vocal opponents to the Government's Three Waters reform, calling the shareholding ownership model a "load of sewage" earlier in the week.

He confirmed at a press conference on Friday that his council's Local Government New Zealand membership is still on hold after the organisation signed off on a non-binding agreement with the Government about Three Waters.

Wise said the other Hawke's Bay councils had a similar discussion, but decided not to go down that path at this stage.

Walker said she would "absolutely not" put her council's LGNZ membership on hold.

"Right now, local government needs to be united and about how we have a sustainable system for looking after our Three Waters infrastructure.

"The process we have to engage in is one being led by central government and we need to be united in how we're working to get the gains and changes to that local government needs for their communities to be happy with whatever change is on the table."

A spokesperson for Minister of Local Government Nanaia Mahuta said public submissions would be encouraged at a yet to be announced date.

"The legislation has now been sent to a cross-party parliamentary committee which is about to embark on a full round of public consultation and public meetings before reporting back to Parliament in five months time [November]."