Mayor speaks out at three waters protest

About 250 people turned out in opposition to the government’s three waters reforms as the Taxpayers’ Union (TPU) Stop the Three Waters Roadshow made its final South Island stop at Seymour Square today.

The government has mandated four publicly owned water entities to take over delivery of the three waters - drinking water, wastewater and stormwater - from local councils.

And alongside speakers from Taxpayers’ Union, Federated Farmers and Groundswell, Marlborough Mayor John Leggett and councillors Gerald Hope and David Croad condemned the reforms.

“When it was first mooted, it was about better drinking water and improved infrastructure. That’s something we embraced,” Mayor Leggett says.

“However, the way the model’s being rolled out, and the model itself; It’s not best for Marlborough.”

The Marlborough region will be split across two water entities. South Marlborough, including Seddon and Ward, will be part of Entity D which covers most of the South Island, while the remainder of Marlborough is within Entity C.

Almost every council in the country expressed some opposition to the reforms. In October Local Government minister Nanaia Mahuta mandated the changes, removing the option for councils to opt in. The entities are expected to be operational by July 2024.

“My council has advocated for a pause in the process to further test the four entity model and consider alternative, smaller regional models,” Mayor Leggett says.

“We also want the Government to provide our residents and ratepayers with a much better understanding of the reform proposals.”

Taxpayers' Union campaign manager Louis Houlbrooke says the movement opposing three waters reforms has been building, the biggest issue the removal of democratic representation, he says.

“Under this regime there will be four layers of bureaucracy,” Louis says.

“Other councils have proposed their own reforms – the ideas don’t have to come from Wellington.

“Councils are dealing with this head on, and they deserve to have their ideas heard.”

The Water Services Entity bill, the legislation that will set up the four entities, passed its first reading last week and is now going through the Select Committee process where the public can make submissions.

There is at least one more bill to come that will cover transferring the assets and setting up consumer protections.