NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Nanaia Mahuta: Overhauling water regulation

By Nanaia Mahuta
Hawkes Bay Today·
27 Nov, 2018 05:05 PM5 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Hastings District No 2 bore on Brookvale Rd, Havelock North. Photo File

Hastings District No 2 bore on Brookvale Rd, Havelock North. Photo File

Safe, clean water is a birthright of every New Zealander.

Wherever they live Kiwi ratepayers and communities expect to be able to turn on the tap and drink the water without fear of getting sick.

They also want to be able to swim in our rivers and lakes, and enjoy beaches free from the worry of raw sewage seeping into the ocean.

Our interconnected three waters system faces critical funding and capability challenges in delivering this. With pressures such as ageing infrastructure, population changes, increased tourism numbers and the need to build in resilience against climate change and natural events, the situation will get much worse if we do not address it.

The Havelock North campylobacter outbreak in 2016 made an estimated 5500 people ill and has been associated with the deaths of at least four people. Many others suffered long-term health effects as a result of it.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The subsequent inquiry recommended a dedicated water regulator – and I have just announced an overhaul of water regulation. New Zealanders deserve nothing less and we need to look towards a solution that builds on our own context rather than simply adopting models from overseas.

Along with Ministers David Parker (Environment) and David Clark (Health), I aim to take detailed proposals on the shape and form of the new regulatory arrangements across the three waters to Cabinet in June 2019.

At that stage it will be much clearer as to who does what and how it is done – but the bottom line is that public safety has to be our priority, with reduced environmental damage and contamination from wastewater as a high priority as well.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

I know that in some places the notion of "mandatory residual treatment" of water translates to many as mandatory chlorination. That is one option but there are others, no decisions have been made on mandatory chlorination. The emphasis must be on meeting the higher drinking water and environmental standards and the shape and form of the regulator.

The inquiry also advanced the notion of consolidating water service providers. We have made no decisions on this. It is part of a longer conversation we need to have with local government which owns most of the water assets and which is facing wide-ranging funding challenges and capability issues, particularly in rural and provincial areas.

However, I am pleased to note that councils in a number of areas have voluntarily begun to look at the pros and cons of collaborative arrangements including in Hawke's Bay, Wellington, the Waikato and top of the south.

Underpinning any work in this area is a fundamental commitment to continued public ownership of water assets – so contrary to some speculation, privatisation is not on the agenda and the Government remains mindful of the concern expressed in many parts of the country about this.

Discover more

Kahu

Lack of Māori tourism growth criticised

12 Dec 05:00 PM
New Zealand|politics

Govt sets out new plans for water management

31 Jul 06:53 AM

I also want to make it very clear that this Government does not have an amalgamation agenda. I have said many times that we are determined to strengthen local governance, not undermine it.

To this end I aim to broaden our discussion with local government into how we can work together more generally not only to meet the funding and capability issues but to strengthen their role in promoting community prosperity and intergenerational wellbeing.

We know that the local government landscape is changing. It is facing unprecedented and complex challenges, and business as usual is not going to address growing expectations to be more responsive. Most issues mirror those specific to the three waters – demographics, climate change, infrastructure issues – but importantly also include financing and debt constraints.

They all impact both central and local government. Addressing them together so that all our people and their communities thrive is essential. We need to take a fresh approach, act smarter and apply a new lens to how we make a difference for communities across the country.

This is in line with bringing a focus on social, economic, environmental and cultural considerations back into legislation. It complements and anticipates the wellbeing focus of Budget 2019. It is all about the prosperity and wellbeing of communities.

So what are we doing about it? We have instructed the Productivity Commission to review local government funding and financing arrangements. We have progressed an Urban Growth Agenda to assist with better planning outcomes in high-growth areas.
We are working across agencies to explore how central government can better support the relationship between Māori and local government. We are looking at how we can fund the infrastructure necessary for regional growth.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

And we have begun by taking concrete steps to ensure now and into the future the safety and quality of that most precious of life-giving assets: our water. This approach is underpinned by a strong desire to improve quality of life and wellbeing outcomes in a way that addresses the stresses that go with this expectation.

It's important to plan for the future we want to see and that is what I am working to achieve.

* Hon Nanaia Mahuta is the Minister of Local Government

Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

New Zealand

Stash of ammo, meth, sawn-off shotgun found in BMW on 1am drive on North Shore

Opinion
|Updated

NZ Herald comments: The stories open for discussion today

New Zealand

Public Trust spreading a message of good will

Watch

Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

Stash of ammo, meth, sawn-off shotgun found in BMW on 1am drive on North Shore
New Zealand

Stash of ammo, meth, sawn-off shotgun found in BMW on 1am drive on North Shore

A 22-year-old is due to appear in court on weapon and drugs charges.

14 Jul 10:25 PM
NZ Herald comments: The stories open for discussion today
Opinion
|Updated

NZ Herald comments: The stories open for discussion today

14 Jul 10:10 PM
Public Trust spreading a message of good will
New Zealand

Public Trust spreading a message of good will

Watch
14 Jul 09:53 PM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP