Mayor Dan Gordon spoke on behalf of the Council last week in opposition to the Government’s Water Services Entities Amendment bill at the Governance and Administration Select Committee hearing.

“This Bill shouldn’t go ahead because it’s based on flawed assumptions, models not suitable for New Zealand, and there’s no mandate from Kiwis nationwide. This process overall should be stopped until at least after the General Election in October,” says Mayor Gordon.

“A pause is the most sensible option. This is because if the current government is re-elected then they will have won an electoral mandate to push ahead, on the other hand, if a new government is elected, they won’t have to waste precious reform time repealing poor legislation.”

In the submission, the Council recognised there was a need for change in water provision, but this Bill didn’t go far enough address the matters of concern to councils and their communities

“The government continues to push ahead with the removal of assets from communities resulting in the loss of control that ownership confers on them,” said Mayor Gordon.

“The Waimakariri community does not support this and the loss of ownership and effective control is the crux of the issue.

“There is a better way to undertake Three Waters Reform and our Council as well as Communities 4 Local Democracy (C4LD) we’ve provided models and alternatives that would deliver on the Government’s objectives.

“We genuinely want a reform that works for all. We don’t support this bill and ask for it not to proceed further pending the outcome of the general election.”