Three Waters: Whanganui and region mayors want answers but won't sign joint letter

Protesters outside the Whanganui District Council building after the Three Waters mandate was announced. Photo / Bevan Conley

Mayors in the wider Whanganui region say they won't be adding their signatures to a letter addressed to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern calling for a face-to-face meeting on the Three Waters Reform mandate.

The letter drafted by Waimakariri mayor Dan Gordon expresses disappointment in the process which saw Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta announce that water reforms would become mandatory after councils had originally been told they had until the end of the year to opt out.

The reforms would see control of fresh, storm and wastewater assets shift from local councils to four new regional entities by July 2024.

At a Zoom meeting of several mayors last week, some said they would sign Gordon's letter while others wanted to discuss it with their councils.

Rangitīkei mayor Andy Watson said he would not sign a letter without the support of his council.

"We don't have a full council meeting until later in the month," he said.

"It is not something for me to decide on my own. And,if I were to sign a letter, I would want to do so with council support."

Whanganui mayor Hamish McDouall is also vice-president of the Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) national council, and said his communications with the Government would be through LGNZ.

"Although I support and agree with many of the concerns expressed in Mayor Gordon's letter, it's not something I would be signing," he said.

"I think the letter has a haranguing element to it, and I believe we can address things in a more constructive way through LGNZ."

Ruapehu mayor Don Cameron, who is also an elected member of the LGNZ national council, said he would also address his council's concerns through that forum.

"As a rural council, we support the reforms," he said.

"By July 2024, our water infrastructure will be seriously in need of upgrades. It's simply unaffordable for our ratepayers."

Cameron said that did not mean he didn't have concerns and questions for the Government.

"LGNZ has worked very hard on behalf of councils. I know some have said we should have pushed harder but we really tried to persuade the Government to listen harder to councils' concerns."