Ngāi Tahu will work with councils within its takiwā (boundary) to ensure the success of the water infrastructure and services reform announced by government today, co-chair of Te Kura Taka Pini (the Ngāi Tahu freshwater group) Professor Te Maire Tau says.

Today the government announced that it would replace four planned national water services entities established by legislative reforms late last year with ten regional entities owned by local councils. This means “Entity D”, which would have serviced the Ngāi Tahu takiwā and comprised 22 local council areas, will be replaced by two entities, with a third South Island entity north of the takiwā.

Professor Tau said that Ngāi Tahu had supported the four-entity model legislated just before Christmas through a long consultation period and there was no need for sudden changes to that model which could see smaller communities struggle with finances. However, the iwi would work under the new approach in the interests of reaching the ultimate shared goal of safe, equitable and financially sustainable water services for all communities.

“The government has made a trade off between more localised council representation and control on the one hand, and administrative efficiencies and economies of scale on the other,” Professor Tau said. “We see the Ngāi Tahu takiwā as an integrated whole of waterways and catchments, and so our preference remains a single takiwā entity involving all councils and greater fiscal sustainability. This view is shared by some councils.”

Professor Tau said that Ngāi Tahu would explore with councils whether Councils’ needs and the public good would be better served by one or two entities within the takiwā.

“Nevertheless, today’s announcement remains a significant improvement on the pre-reform status quo, where ratepayers faced an uncertain future of unsustainable cost increases and service failures. It will bring us closer to equitable, safe and financially sustainable water services throughout the country, after decades of underinvestment.”

“Ngāi Tahu will continue to work in good faith with the 22 councils within the takiwā towards this goal, along with improved health and environmental outcomes, including in those local authorities and rural communities with lower population bases.”

“We will share our commercial and governance expertise, and our knowledge and scientific research into the geology and hydrology of water catchments in the takiwā and encourage a collaborative approach for the benefit of all our communities.”

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