3 Waters concerns raised

THE Government’s drive to set up large water entities could get messy if there is a shortage of trust in local decisionmaking, Dunedin’s mayor has argued.

Stretched Three Waters staffing, lack of certainty about landuse planning and proposed government powers to place some council decisions under review were among concerns raised by Dunedin Mayor Aaron Hawkins at a parliamentary select committee hearing yesterday.

A Government Bill would establish four publicly owned water entities to take over functions from councils from mid2024 and Mr Hawkins highlighted worries about operations in the meantime.

‘‘The national transition unit’s ability to override decisions of elected members while we remain responsible for water service delivery is unconscionable to us,’’ Mr Hawkins said.

Councils could essentially be barred from making decisions that might compromise the entities.

Mr Hawkins signalled the council was uncomfortable about possible implications for its daytoday decisionmaking.

The Dunedin City Council’s written statement about transitional provisions being ‘‘operationally difficult’’ was perhaps the understatement of the year, he said.

Requirements on staff to respond to the transition unit’s work were ‘‘vast’’ and it was also proposed the unit be able to second council staff.

Mr Hawkins told the finance and expenditure select committee the council supported many of the reforms’ key objectives, including better health and environmental outcomes and a stronger voice for iwiMaori in the system.

Some antireform rhetoric was painful for Maori communities and the disinformation industry had found room to function, he said.

The city council remained ‘‘unconvinced’’ the Government’s proposed service delivery model was the best way to achieve objectives, Mr Hawkins said.

The council wanted the reform programme put on ice until alternatives had been properly considered.

The Bill did not deal with some core concerns, such as land planning, transfer of assets and liabilities and how civil defence might be managed in practice, Mr Hawkins said.

He argued for consideration of an entity covering Otago and Southland, instead of much of the South Island, and for the Bill to be deferred until subsequent legislation was ready.

Central Otago Mayor Tim Cadogan said the district council was worried about a lack of legislative protection in the Bill for standardised pricing.

He drew parallels with what he described as disappointing results for the district from Aurora Energy after electricity reforms.

There appeared to be no legal provision to stop a large water entity from heading down a similar path, Mr Cadogan said.

The council supported the call from the Auditorgeneral’s office for more efficient auditing oversight of the entities, he said.

The district was uncertain about how well the entities would accommodate smaller areas that were growing, he said.

Having council decisions about Three

Waters subject to review appeared to be unworkable, Mr Cadogan said.

Ngai Tahu representative Dr Te Maire Tau defended the proposed boundary of the entity covering much of the South Island, as well as proposed cogovernance.

Dr Tau said assets had been neglected in the 19th and 20th centuries.

They should remain in public ownership, he said.