Sign In / Register
In light of various changes made in Government policies by Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, he has also been under pressure to reconsider the 3 Waters reforms. Recently he announced that Cabinet has considered the 3 Waters programme.
“The need for reform is unquestionable. The [weather] events in Auckland have once again demonstrated the limits of our existing infrastructure and the need for change. But careful consideration is required.”
On February 9, Prime Minister Hipkins stated that the consideration process is likely to take a few more weeks. “The status quo isn’t viable. We need to find a new way of funding the billions required for infrastructure upgrades without the huge increases in household rates bills that were projected without further action being undertaken,” the Prime Minister said. “This is fundamentally about infrastructure, the cost of living, and the quality of life for New Zealanders. The Government will work through those options carefully, and that process is likely to take a few more weeks.”
Cabinet has asked Minister for local government, Kieran McAnulty, to report back on options for refocusing the reforms, including seeking further feedback from local government and Maori. “The Government is aware that there is concern around co-governance; there’s also concern from local authorities,” Prime Minister Hipkins said. “In the coming weeks we want to work with local authorities on these issues. However, there are no options on the table yet.
There is no overnight fix to the problems that we’ve got with our water infrastructure in NZ, but it is important we reassess the options to make sure that we’ve got the mix right.”
