Hawke's Bay councils are launching a campaign on the controversial three waters reforms, getting locals to have their say, claiming the government has not listened to communities.
Napier Mayor Kirsten Wise (left) speaks to Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst at a media briefing on a regional three waters campaign today. Central Hawke's Bay Mayor Alex Walker is on screen in the background. Photo: RNZ / Tom Kitchin
All councils in the region have strongly expressed their dislike of the reforms, but the mayors say this is not about drumming up opposition.
But the Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta has previously said there had been years of consultation.
Havelock North in Hawke's Bay is where the call for reforms started, after around 8000 people became sick and at least four people died six years ago.
Locals RNZ spoke to today had mixed views on their water and the reforms.
"The drinking water I don't drink it anymore, because my husband got very sick - however long ago that was, I actually have bottled water now," one woman said.
She said the council was clearly not doing a good enough job, and that experience had destroyed her faith in them.
But she was unsure about the three waters reform.
"I don't have a lot of faith in what people are saying, they're contradicting themselves and it's confused me."
Another woman said she thought the council needed to "up their game" but she did not agree with the three waters reform.
"I think our own community should look after our own things really."
Another woman called the reform a "bit controversial [but] I don't actually have a problem with it, I think something needs to happen - our drinking water needs to be as good as it can be, and if three waters can do it then so be it."
The Water Services Entities Bill passed its first reading in Parliament yesterday.
This will put New Zealand's drinking, waste and stormwater into the hands of four new council owned entities, instead of the 67 councils.
The next step will be the select committee process, where people will be able to submit and have their say.
The Hawke's Bay territorial authorities - Napier City Council and the Hastings, Central Hawke's Bay and Wairoa district councils - have labelled that as the reason behind a public information campaign.
"It is vital that now, there is the space for every person in our Hawke's Bay region and the country to find the information that's relevant to them and participate in the parliamentary process," Central Hawke's Bay mayor Alex Walker said.
It is not because they want to build opposition, according to Napier Mayor Kirsten Wise.
"As individuals and mayors of our region, we are not in favour of what's being proposed. We're not denying that, but we're also not going to be running a 10-week campaign now which is around offering our views. It will be purely factual, it will be information based and it won't be our opinions being put forward."
But the media conference today where the mayors announced the campaign was full of opinions, like Wairoa Mayor Craig Little's.
"We're not happy up in Wairoa and I don't think I've spoken to anybody up in Wairoa that supports the three waters reforms," he said.
Kirsten Wise said the 10 week campaign will be "purely factual" and "information based". Photo:
In an earlier RNZ interview, Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta said the reforms had changed after years of consultation from multiple working groups, including councils, iwi and the water industry.
"I'm really keen that people get good information about the reasons for change, what we're trying to achieve, the benefits back to ratepayers and actually dispel some of the myths that have been put out there deliberately to create harm and division."
But Little was not a fan of the government's consultation.
"Well if I did consultation like that in Wairoa, I'd probably be run out of town. Generally consultation means to us we go out to the community, we tell them what we're planning and proposing and then you can submit to us. They're just doing it from Wellington and I'm afraid they have not taken the communities on board."
There is still time for people to have their say though - there is six weeks for New Zealanders to submit on the first three waters bill - submissions close on 22 July.
