No time to waste

As I have been travelling around Northland lately, it is apparent that many communities are suffering because of the drought. Northland is dry, it’s brown, and the hot weather slows everything down.

But even if I hadn’t seen it for myself, I have had countless reports from all areas and all sectors about the impact the drought is having on the region.

When I was at Waitangi earlier this month, people from all walks of life told me they were facing severe water shortages. Wha¯nau, schools, health services, businesses, farmers and growers and industry are all being affected by this particularly hot, dry summer.

My fellow Cabinet Minister Damien O’Connor, the Agriculture Minister, declared a drought a couple of weeks ago, unlocking the government aid that comes with such a declaration, but we are a government that gets stuck in when there is an issue, which is why I’ve acted quickly to get temporary water supplies under way for Kaitaia and Kaikohe. They are two of the worst-affected towns in the region.

Residents should be able to go about their lives knowing that we believe that although they live in isolated parts of New Zealand, they deserve first world services, and we need to meet those needs.

The government cannot step back and remain aloof from the requests for assistance from communities. They are happy that the government, within a remarkably short period of time, has provided a remedy to the problem of water access in Kaikohe and Kaitaia.

We have solved that problem in the short term with our announcement of up to $2 million to secure these temporary water supplies. People are saying ‘Thank God you’ve stepped in with shortterm relief,’ but the long-term remains outstanding.

The Far North District Council should not be allowed to get off scot free. It needs to turbo-charge its longterm water solutions, and secure water supplies to vulnerable towns into the future.

Whether or not there has to be more robust intervention, that decision is not with me, but, as I’ve been quoted as saying, the council needs a rocket.

That goes for iwi as well. Our local chiefs from Nga¯puhi, Te Aupo¯uri and Te Rarawa need to hop off the Court of Appeal diving board and start prioritising the muddy puddle which is the severity of our Far North water crisis.

There comes a time when the wellbeing of the community comes before iwi politics, and now is that time.

I will watch with interest how the temporary water supplies are rolled out, and what lessons we can all learn to ensure water security and future resilience for our communities.

"The Far North District Council should not be allowed to get off scot free. It needs to turbo-charge its long-term water solutions . . .

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