9 Mar 2022

3 Waters changes proposed: can the impasse be broken?

From Nine To Noon, 9:05 am on 9 March 2022

An independent working group of Council and Iwi representatives has recommended a raft of changes to the Government's three waters proposal.

The plan would see the country's 67 councils' drinking, waste and storm water assets taken over by four large regional entities, in order to provide an extra 120-185 billion in water infrastructure over the next three decades.

The working group was established after a backlash from councils concerned about loss of local ownership, privatisation and the ability to maintain a local voice within large entities.

The reports makes 47 recommendations including a public shareholding model, with Councils owning all the shares in the new Water Services Entities on behalf of their communities.

Kathryn speaks with Campbell Barry, Mayor of Hutt City, who was one of eight mayors and 11 iwi representatives on the Working Group.