Water’s unique place

I am deeply disturbed by the Government’s decision to step back from the anti-privatisation of water provisions in proposed Three Waters legislation.

Water is not like other shared interests. There is a legitimate and essential argument that water is different, that it must remain in public hands and that there is good reason to make it very difficult, almost impossible, to privatise.

Water is literally life-giving and life

maintaining. To sell off water assets to private interests is one of the most dangerous things we could do as a country.

It is a fantasy that we will not face wellresourced pressure to privatise water in the future, especially as climate change progresses, and the public ability to fight well-financed private interests is limited. The anti-privatisation measures proposed would protect our communities and the country.

The argument put forward by some academics fails to recognise the unique nature of water and the unequalled foundational place it occupies in our lives. I cannot understand why they would take a stand so divorced from this physical reality, nor why the Government would listen.

Marnie Prickett, Choose Clean Water, Wellington