Whanganui councillor Rob Vinsen demands Three Waters debate

Councillor Rob Vinsen wants the Whanganui District Council to discuss the Communities 4 Local Democracy memorandum on the Three Waters reforms. Photo / Bevan Conley

Rob Vinsen wants Whanganui District councillors to be able to discuss their position on the Government's Three Waters proposal publicly.

The Whanganui District councillor is calling on mayor Hamish McDouall to bring a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the Three Waters reforms to the council table.

The MoU, led by Waimakariri mayor Dan Gordon, has been proposed to establish a working group to engage with the Government on alternate avenues regarding the reforms.

Vinsen said Whanganui people have asked publicly what the position of the Whanganui District Council is on Three Waters and he believes discussing the MoU at a council meeting would provide some answers.

Under Three Waters, Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta wants to amalgamate the water services of 67 councils into four regional water entitles - the proposal is controversial because it is compulsory, effectively forcing those councils to relinquish ownership of their water pipes and reservoirs.

When Mahuta announced the plan in October, the legislation creating the new entities was set to be introduced to Parliament by the end of the year, but the Government was forced to concede in December that it would be delayed.

The MoU challenging the Three Waters reforms was attached to a letter drafted and circulated by Gordon last year and was sent to all New Zealand mayors in November.

The letter expressed disappointment in the process which saw 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 and would be given time for public consultation.

The MoU has so far received support from several of New Zealand's 67 local authorities including Rangitikei and South Taranaki district councils.

The coalition, named Communities 4 Local Democracy - He hapori mō te Manapori, is calling on the Government to reconsider its position in favour of "other options that better deliver a set of reform proposals that meet the needs of communities, councils, and Government".

Whanganui mayor Hamish McDouall said he does not support the MoU document shared by the Communities 4 Local Democracy coalition. Photo / Bevan Conley

McDouall said he stands by his initial response to Gordon's letter and the MoU.

"While I agree with some of the objectives of the coalition, my main concern is that the MoU seeks to reverse the Government's mandate rather than help to shape the future of three waters management," he said.

McDouall said the letter and MoU were addressed to him as mayor, and he is not required to table them at a council meeting.

"If councillor Vinsen wants to put a notice of motion to the next council meeting and a majority of councillors support it, I will table the document."

McDouall said councillors had the opportunity to express their views and ask questions on the water reforms last year.

He said elected representatives and council staff worked through a significant amount of material to try to understand the reform package and submitted relevant questions which have not yet received any response from the Government.

In late July 2021, councils were given an eight-week period to work through the proposals and think about how it affects their council and community.

"As I have said from the beginning of the three waters consultation process, there are local authorities that have not invested sufficiently in their infrastructure whereas Whanganui has invested heavily," McDouall said.

"My concern has always been about what is best for this district and to ensure that we will not be subsidising other councils."

Vinsen said last year's council discussions had not assisted the public to understand the reform programme proposals or to know councillors' views.

"The truth is that there has never been a vote taken publicly at the council table where individual councillors can declare their position," he said.

"There may be differing views around the council table on whether they support the objectives of the MoU but I think it should be discussed and it hasn't left the mayor's desk," Vinsen said.

Councillor Alan Taylor said a discussion of the MoU document would enable the public to better understand the intentions of the Three Waters reform programme. Photo / Bevan Conley

Councillor Alan Taylor, who last year described the Government's Three Waters consultation process as a "mangy dog with fleas", said he believes a council discussion on the MoU would be helpful to the public.

"In that respect, I support Rob's intention because the public need to know what our views are. Whether or not we agree with the objectives of the MoU, the opportunity for public consultation was taken away by the Government's decision to make the reforms mandatory in October," said Taylor.

"We didn't get to have the public consultation phase we were led to believe would occur after September."

Councillor Helen Craig said the discussion was needed because of the Government's lack of response to questions posed by the council. Photo / Bevan Conley

Councillor Helen Craig said she also supported tabling the MoU at a council meeting.

"We put so much work into compiling a comprehensive list of questions for the Government last year," she said.

"That list included questions we had been asked by the public and we've had no response. I, therefore, think that a discussion of the MoU would allow the public some insight into what the issues are and how we, in Whanganui want to address them."

The first council meeting for 2022 is on February 15 at 1pm.