The Government is ramming through its Three Waters reforms under urgency against overwhelming public opposition, National’s Local Government spokesperson Simon Watts says.

“Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta has tabled an 11th hour amendment to the Water Services Entities Bill, U-turning on the confiscation of public parks and reserves.

“While National welcomes this U-turn, it’s nowhere near enough. The Government needs to U-turn on its entire Three Waters reforms.

“The reforms are undemocratic, taking local assets out of local control.

“The late expansion of Te Mana o te Wai statements to cover coastal and geothermal waters, make the reforms even worse than they already were. They’ve gone from Three Waters to Five Waters.

“Under the Bill, the mega entities must give effect to Te Mana o te Wai, which refers to the importance of water in te ao Māori. But only mana whenua would be able to make a statement expressing how an entity should give effect to Te Mana o te Wai.

“Everyone should be able to submit a on Te Mana o te Wai statements, not just mana whenua. A farmer who has a river through their property should be able to have a say, as should other communities.

“National has tabled an amendment to allow all Kiwis to submit on Te Mana o te Wai statements.

“Labour is intent on ploughing ahead with their highly-centralised, undemocratic, co-governed mega-entities and is using urgency to push the legislation through. But they should, at the very least, support National’s amendment.

“Ramming the Three Waters reforms though under urgency, in spite of overwhelming opposition from councils and the communities they represent, shows how out-of-touch, arrogant and ideological this Government is.

“National will repeal Labour’s Three Waters reforms, and work with councils to replace it with an enduring solution.”

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