Labour stands alone on Three Waters bill

‘‘All communities want the problem to be fixed.’’

The Government has passed its major Three Waters reform bill into law, with Labour the only party supporting the legislation.

Labour voted the Water Services Entities Bill through its third reading in the House yesterday, laying the groundwork for four public water entities to be created by July 2024.

It comes after a week in which the party reversed an ‘‘entrenchment’’ clause it entered into the bill two weeks ago.

The bill was opposed by National and ACT, both of which have promised to repeal the reforms. It was also opposed for the first time by the Green Party, as the public ownership of water assets would not be entrenched in law as the party hoped, and by the Māori Party as it fell short of proper ‘‘co-governance’’.

The new law marked another step on a long road for the Three Waters reforms, which were spurred on by a report into an outbreak of campylobacter in Havelock North’s water supply in 2016, which hospitalised 45 people and possibly contributed to the death of three people.

Though many agree the country’s patchy and inadequate water services need reform, the Government’s proposed creation of four public water entities to manage water has caused ire across the country, including from many councils who argued they would lose control of valuable water assets and claimed local democracy was being reduced.

Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta, speaking in the House, said the Government wanted to ‘‘fix a problem that has been left to languish for the last two decades’’.

‘‘Just this morning we heard of the water contamination issues in Waimate. Just last week in the Matamata-Piako district we heard of a community on a boil

water notice, and they are not isolated events.

‘‘But, sadly, no-one is outraged because it’s a common experience and all communities want the problem to be fixed.’’

The Water Services Entities Act enacts the substantive portion of the Government’s reform of the country’s Three Waters – drinking, waste, and storm water.

Four new public water entities that span the country will take control of water assets from councils, and councils will receive a ‘‘shareholding’’ of the new entities. High-level representative groups that will oversee the water entities’ professional boards will be split 50/50 between appointees from the various councils and mana whenua, under the principle of ‘‘co-governance’’ – a particularly controversial aspect of the reform.

Standards for water services, including drinking water quality, will be regulated by a new authority already created, Taumata Arowai.

National Party MP and local government spokesperson Simon Watts said he had a direct message to people working on water infrastructure in councils across the country.

‘‘The next 12 months will be unsettling and challenging but be forewarned; National will repeal this bill, undo the other statutory amendments, and dissolve any obligations created by this bill in regards to employment funding and financing.

‘‘National will work with you, not against you.’’