Hamilton has called upon the government to make significant changes to its water reform proposals.

Hamilton City Council agreed today to stay involved in reform discussions but put a number of conditions in place.

In particular, the Council raised strong concerns about consultation, ownership of assets and the retention of a local voice. Council has also demanded ironclad protections against privatisation to be embedded in any future structure.

Mayor Paula Southgate said Council’s feedback was very clear and noted all of the feedback is captured in a public document which will be available for anyone to see.

“Council is willing to keep talking to government but that is as far as we have gone. We have not committed Council to anything. The ball is now in the government’s court to sort out the many concerns expressed by Councillors on behalf of the public,” she said.

Concern about a lack of consultation was one of the Council’s biggest issues, she said.

“Our feedback requires an absolute assurance from government that formal, effective and transparent consultation with our community will be undertaken before any proposal is on the table. Hamiltonians simply must have a say about the future of fundamental water services for this city; that is a bottom-line for all councillors.”

“Nor are we satisfied with the Government’s proposed governance structure which we think has some serious shortcomings. Councillors all agreed that today we need a much stronger local voice.”

In the feedback Council has asked government for a guarantee that, from 2024, its community and consumers are financially better off with waters reform than they would be if Council continue to manage its water services independently. Councillors also want government to better connect any water reform work with other reforms already underway.

Southgate said water reform had been discussed for decades and largely nothing had happened until a review into the tragic events of the Havelock North water contamination issue, and until the incidents of pollution into waterways became too much to ignore, she said.

While Hamilton had very good water services, that was simply not the case all over New Zealand, she said.

“We know there some pressing issues that need addressing. But we are certainly not happy with the model that’s been proposed and I think that was made very clear by all Councillors today.”

“The proposal as it stands needs a lot of work. Leadership is about the willingness to speak up for the community and fight hard to get the best outcome for Hamilton. Our Council decided we would we more likely to get the best result for our city by making our feedback crystal clear.”

Today Council reviewed and amended a comprehensive feedback document, outlining Hamilton’s concerns over the proposals to date, a general lack of detail from Government and the poor way the reform proposals have been communicated to councils and public.

Government announced initial proposals for the reform earlier this year, leading into an eight-week period for Councils to provide feedback. Councils have not yet been called upon to opt in or out of the reform programme. The feedback period ends on October 1.

Note: The report for today’s Council’s meeting is available at www.hamilton.govt.nz/agendas. The amended feedback document will be available tomorrow

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