Local issues over Three Waters heard
Govt attempting to bribe councils says Nat spokesman
Simon Watts, National’s spokesperson for local government, is travelling around the country meeting with local councils to hear issues they have. Key issues that often come up are the Three Waters reform and alternative proposals, the future of local government, sustainable funding and infrastructure, or other local issues on their minds.
Simon visited Te Awamutu on the afternoon of Friday, April 29.
He has a background in finance and infrastructure, which led him to talk about local council issues of freeing up land, the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA), and infrastructure around housing and touching on the pressing issue of Three Waters.
Water quality varies around New Zealand and Barbara Kuriger, MP for Taranaki-King Country, agrees that something does need to be done around improving the quality of our nation’s water.
“However, there are other ways to improve the water, through central government funding for the areas that need it, councils getting water services contractors in from elsewhere or councils joining forces by themselves to benefit from each other’s resources,” she says.
Barbara says Waipa¯’s water is currently under control and functioning well. She is “worried about if the control of water is split into four entities, which are largely based in the big cities, how much attention Waipa¯ and all our other smaller rural areas will get.”
She adds that “locals have the knowledge about what works for them and the more you move control out of the local areas, the more difficult it will be”.
She says Three Waters “will strip councils of the work that they do for the water and water infrastructure, with local government reforms coming up, we just don’t know what that means, yet”.
Simon in a press release stated that a “thinly-veiled gag order has been placed on councils in what appears to be an attempt to control what they say to the media about Three Waters”.
He believes that “councils and communities across the country are overwhelming against Three Waters and have been publicly voicing their opposition to the asset grab plans. Instead of listening, the Government is attempting to bribe them with a $2 billion fund to spend however they want — even on projects that have nothing to do with water infrastructure.
“In return for the bribe, councils have been directed that they must not do anything that might damage the reputation of the Government.
“If Labour has money that they can distribute, surely the Government could use that money in those areas that need their water fixed,” says Barbara.
Simon says, “This appears to be a way of telling councils that they will get more money from the Government to spend on whatever they like, so long as they stop criticising Three Waters. Labour simply does not like to be told it’s wrong.
“It’s not the first time they’ve attempted to prevent criticism or questions being asked about unpopular decisions or their poor performance. We’ve seen in recent weeks a number of incidents where Labour has abused its majority, like blocking the Opposition’s request for a briefing on the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission’s damning report into the Government’s performance on mental health or preventing National from meeting with the police commissioner.
“It’s disturbing to see a government that once claimed it would be the most open and transparent government ever using its power to try to shut down criticism and debate. Instead of bribing councils not to speak out against Three Waters, Labour should listen to communities and scrap the plans.”