Ruapehu District Council has its main office in Taumarunui. Photo / Moana Ellis
Ruapehu District Council has its main office in Taumarunui. Photo / Moana Ellis
Ruapehu Mayor Don Cameron says there will be public consultation on the Government's three waters reforms but the council is still assessing what impact the proposals will have.
"The Department of Internal Affairs has provided some information specific to Ruapehu's situation that council is still working through to assess itsimpact on us and the community," Cameron said.
Ruapehu District Council has until the end of September to provide feedback to Government.
It will then consider next steps, including consultation.
The three-year reform programme proposes to move New Zealand water assets into a small number of publicly owned multi-regional entities.
The local government sector has sought advice from Simpson Grierson, and the firm's advice is that it would be premature to consult ratepayers.
"We should spend this time fully understanding all the information so we can best advise and consult with the community when more complete information is at hand," Cameron said.
Some councils are already seeking community views, but all are at different points in the process and in evaluation of their specific offer from Government.
Ruapehu has decided not to consult the community yet, but it has been discussing its water situation for years. It was highlighted in its 2018-28 Long Term Plan and the move to district-wide water rates.
Government's reform proposals can be seen as a move to multi-regional water rating to address the ever-growing affordability issues, Cameron said.
Government is currently giving councils the ability to opt out of the reform process, but this may change if larger councils pull out. The benefits of the reforms are predicated on gaining economies of scale and if larger councils pull out these could be lost.
"We believe the best process is for council to continue to work with Government on clarifying the remaining issues such as how to ensure the local voice is heard in decision making and clarity on the ownership of the assets before we commence a community consultation process - assuming this is still an option after Government has decided the next steps," Cameron said.
There is information on official websites such as threewaters.govt.nz, dia.govt.nz and lgnz.co.nz, but many details on key issues are still to come.
