Council to submit on Water Services Entities Bill
Published on 09 July 2022
Whanganui District Council is preparing to submit to the government’s Water Services Entities Bill – the first of a suite of bills to reform New Zealand’s drinking water, wastewater and stormwater services – the “three waters” services. Currently, these services are mostly provided by local councils.
Chief executive David Langford says Whanganui District councillors will hold a workshop on 14 July to discuss their submission.
“Whanganui District Council is currently asking the community for their views on three waters and other central government reforms,” he says, “And preliminary responses from our survey will help to inform the workshop discussion.”
Mayor Hamish McDouall says, “At our March council meeting this year councillors confirmed they did not support the current reforms proposal and this was passed with a unanimous vote.
“The council’s submission on the Water Services Entity Bill will state that the council does not support it, but we are also looking at the public response to the survey. The council has been frustrated from the outset that the government has not adequately consulted with communities on these issues.”
The bill, if passed, will create four publicly owned water services entities that will provide water services in place of local authorities.
Each water services entity will take on responsibility for delivering water services to a specific geographical area, from 1 July 2024 and the bill sets out how the water services entities will operate, and how they will be accountable to the public.
Mayor Hamish and David Langford will present the submission in person to the select committee in Wellington and will be able to present further community perspectives from the survey at this time.
David Langford says it’s important for members of the community to have their say. “I encourage everyone to take a little bit of time to answer our survey, which closes on 30 July.
“People can also have their say on the Water Services Entities Bill by submitting directly to the government themselves.”
Visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ZYYM6MP to take part in the council’s survey on three waters and local government reform – or Have Your Say here. The survey closes at 5.00pm on Saturday, 30 July 2022.
Make a submission to the government’s select committee on the Water Services Entities Bill at https://bit.ly/3c3tig4 Submissions close at 11.59pm on Friday, 22 July 2022.
ENDS