“In Canterbury, the lack of appetite for these ‘asset-grabbing’ [water] reforms is resounding,” Mike Yardley writes. However, the Government’s Three Waters reform programme, which would see all 67 councils relinquish their water infrastructure assets to four mega-regional water entities, looks dubious at best. ROBERT KITCHIN/Stuff Minister of Local Government Nanaia Mahuta announces details around the Three Waters reform at Parliament in late June. Three Waters rates charges have risen by nearly 300 per cent over the same period, as Christchurch tries to play catch-up on its ageing infrastructure. I believe a preferable alternative would be to axe this four-entity model and instead propose directly co-funding water infrastructure projects, particularly for councils with low ratepayer bases, in partnership with local government.

Source: Stuff August 16, 2021 17:00 UTC