Three Waters’ days are already numbered, with the remaining support for the controversial reforms slipping away, National Party Local Government spokesperson Simon Watts said.

“Despite the overwhelming opposition from communities, local government, and every other party in Parliament, Labour has steamrolled ahead with their broken Three Waters asset grab, which passed its final reading in Parliament today.

“What little support there was outside the Labour Party vanished today, with the Green Party and Te Pāti Māori voting against the Bill, having previously supported it.

“Labour is now the only party in the House that backs these reforms and have only been able to ram it through because of their absolute majority.

“Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta was even caught trying to entrench parts of the Bill, saying there was a ‘moral obligation’ to do so, in direct defiance of an earlier Cabinet decision. The move, criticised by constitutional law experts, was just the latest episode in a sad and sloppy saga.

“These reforms have been a shambles since day one, with the Government misleading local councils about their ability to opt out, then trying to bribe them with over $2 billion in a failed attempt to get them onside.

“The Government has spent millions on consultants and offices in Freemans Bay to house them in, raiding the Covid relief fund and the pockets of New Zealand taxpayers.

“Kiwis still overwhelmingly oppose these reforms. They see through the Government’s agenda and want to see real solutions, which Labour has never really considered. Labour knows that the four entity, co-governed mega-model won’t deliver better outcomes for them.

“Make no mistake, the legislation’s days are already numbered. National will repeal and replace this broken model.

“In its place we will implement sustainable solutions that fix what’s broken, while keeping assets in local hands.”

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