North Canterbury mayors continue opposition on 3 Waters
By David Hill, local democracy reporter
North Canterbury’s Mayors say they will continue to oppose Three Waters reform in its present format, despite the passing of the Water Services Entities Bill.
The Waimakariri, Hurunui and Kaikōura councils have been actively opposed to the proposed reform and are members of the lobby group Communities 4 Local Democracy (C4LD).
Meanwhile, Ngāi Tahu said it looked forward to working with local councils.
Waimakariri mayor and C4LD deputy chairperson Dan Gordon believed it was not too late to change the government’s mind.
He noted Labour had passed the bill on December 8 without the support of any other party in Parliament.
‘‘It is disappointing to see the Labour Party pushing ahead with such unpopular policy and they’re forcing this through alone.
‘‘Everyone agrees there needs to be investment over several decades to upgrade New Zealand’s freshwater, stormwater and waste-water infrastructure and that requires maximum political consensus to deliver policy stability.’’
Gordon said he was disappointed the government had not engaged more closely with councils.
He felt the C4LD alternative of councils working together as regional water authorities with access to central government support could have gained bi-partisan.
‘‘It is mind-boggling this myth that billions of dollars are going to be borrowed for water infrastructure and that this cost will not be felt by the end user.’’
Gordon said C4LD would hold National and Act to their public promise to repeal and replace the legislation, should they be elected next year.
Hurunui mayor and Canterbury Mayoral Forum deputy chairperson Marie Black said it was an ‘‘unsettling time’’ for council staff, who were having to operate business as usual, while change was looming.
‘‘We understand the reasons why there is a need for change and the new regulations.
‘‘We all expect to have good quality water from Kaitaia to Bluff, but that could have been achieved with (the water regulator) Taumata Arowai.
‘‘But at every level there is still a concern. We know where we are heading, but we don’t know the impacts.’’
Kaikōura mayor Craig Mackle said his council would continue to oppose the reforms in their present form.
‘‘We have to be realistic that Government is aggressively pushing its reform programme through before next year’s election and it is very clear to me the Government is not listening to councils.’’
Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu Kaiwhakahaere Lisa Tumahai acknowledged the process had been "long and sometimes contentious".
‘‘Fundamentally we all want the same things, which is safe, sustainable water services delivered fairly, while protecting the environment and allowing for development.’’
Under the legislation, four water entities would be created around the country to manage freshwater, stormwater and waste-water.
Entity D covered Ngāi Tahu’s takiwā, which encompassed most of the South Island, and would be co-governed 22 councils and Ngāi Tahu.
■ Public interest journalism is funded by New Zealand on Air.
Here's Thursday's thinker!
I am lighter than air, but a hundred people cannot lift me. What am I?
Do you think you know the answer to our daily riddle? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm.
Want to stop seeing riddles in your newsfeed?
Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.
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! 😱
-
47.9% Yes
-
50.2% No
-
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......
Loading…
