Is Three Waters dead under National? Ashburton mayor says not quite
From local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
Three waters reform isn’t dead and buried with a change in Government, Ashburton’s mayor Neil Brown says.
“Three waters reform is not dead, it is just going to be done differently.”
As politicians begin wheeling and dealing to seal the balance of power after the election, it’s business as usual for local government.
At least while they await the new direction from the incoming National-led Government.
“There will be a few things set to change, and Three Waters is probably the biggest one,” Brown said.
“National have said they would repeal it as soon as they could and start work on what the reforms should look like in conjunction with councils."
National has a 100-day action plan that includes scrapping Labour’s affordable water reforms, featuring a co-governed mega-entities model.
Under National's plan, councils will retain the ownership of water assets under stronger government oversight, including requiring councils to put aside money for water infrastructure.
Another big piece of legislation in National’s sights is the Resource Management Act reforms.
“What’s drafted is not what most people want and work needs to be done on that to make it more acceptable,” Brown said.
Following the election results, Brown contacted new Rangitata MP James Meager to congratulate him and thanked outgoing MP Jo Luxton for her support. Luxton is in line to remain in Parliament as a Labour list MP.
He also sent messages to incoming Prime Minister Chris Luxon and the likely new Transport Minister Simeon Brown.
The two Browns will be set to discuss the plans for Ashburton’s second bridge, a project National has committed to starting in its first term.
The Labour Government included the bridge in the draft Government Policy Statement on land transport.
National will issue its own revised draft to incorporate its roads of national significance and public transport projects.
Given National's election pledge to build the second bridge, mayor Brown was confident it will stay there.
“The existing draft GPS lines up with what National promised so there shouldn’t be any tinkering there.”
All the work has been done for the second bridge project to hopefully start next year, he said.
“All that needs to be done is the detailed design and go out for tender.
“It shouldn’t take too much time but it won’t start until after July 1 next year when the new GPS comes in.”
National has also promised to work on replacing the Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2022.
That could result in a change to the rules that forced the council to impose 30kph permanent speed areas outside of urban schools.
National could introduce 30kph limits within specific timeframes, which isn’t currently an option, Brown said.
Poll: Should drivers retake the theory test every 10 years?
Drivers get where they need to go, but sometimes it seems that we are all abiding by different road rules (for example, the varying ways drivers indicate around a roundabout).
Do you think drivers should be required to take a quick driving theory test every 10 years?
Vote in the poll and share any road rules that you've seen bent! 😱
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48.6% Yes
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49.4% No
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1.9% Other - I'll share below
Hero
“I was born and raised in war. To be honest, those are not good memories.
I really like Iran, and I really miss it, but I couldn’t be myself there. Even though my family didn’t like my decision, I left Iran. I promised myself that I would do whatever I can for all communities, especially for the kids, so they do not have the same experience I had.
I studied software engineering in Iran and left in 2006. I went to Malaysia and stayed in Kuala Lumpur for seven years. I was admitted to Lincoln University to do my PhD here, but unfortunately, I couldn’t afford the expenses. I requested a scholarship, but they told me I had to be there for six months first. So, I stayed in Malaysia and did my PhD in network security. In December 2013, I came to New Zealand with a work visa.
It took me a while to connect with the Iranian community here. I volunteered with the Multicultural Council, SPCA, and community patrol, and I established the Christchurch Iranian Society in 2017. Before that, I started working on Radio Toranj, the only Farsi-language radio show in New Zealand.
One of the reasons I started organizing cultural events was to showcase Iranian culture. I wanted to show people that we have delicious food, colorful dresses, traditional customs, and our own instruments. My hope was to show people that we are not what you see in the media.
I am working to involve all the communities that celebrate Nowruz, the Persian New Year, in the Nowruz festival in March 2025. We want to share this celebration not only with our community but with the public as well. It’s better when it’s shared.
I remember the first time someone from Dunedin called me and asked, Hero, can you help? Something happened, and they keep declining Iranian visa applications. When I heard that, I felt insulted. We are still human, so how can they do that?
Through this journey, I’ve learned a lot. Every single day, people with different cases call me, and I try to share my knowledge and guide them as much as I can.
I have received several awards, including the Christchurch Civic Award and an Award of Recognition for my contributions to the community during the pandemic. In 2021, I established Canterbury Kia Ora Academy, a charitable trust. Through this charity, I can help other communities as well, not just the Iranian community.”
- Hero
View more stories, or nominate someone: @humansofchch
www.humansofchch.org......
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