Communities 4 Local Democracy – Kawerau joins the voice of more than a million New Zealanders

Mayors representing more than a million New Zealanders are taking their Three Waters concerns to Parliament today, marking the first step of a powerful new local democracy campaign.

Kawerau Mayor Malcolm Campbell was unable to attend, but the Mayor and Kawerau District Councillors fully support the campaign having signed the letter to the Prime Minister asking for a pause on the Three Waters Reform and now having joined the Communities 4 Local Democracy - He hapori mō te Manapori.

Communities 4 Local Democracy - He hapori mō te Manapori is a newly formed and growing group of 23 councils from around the country.  The group was created in response to serious concerns about the Government’s Three Waters reforms, and numbers are growing as local councils consider the implications of the proposed legislation – in particular losing control of approximately $60 billion of community owned assets across the whole country.   

More than a dozen mayors and other elected representatives are taking the group’s message to meetings at Parliament with National ACT and the Green Party.

“Like the Government, we want to ensure all New Zealanders have access to safe drinking water and we are committed to working with the Government to achieve that,” says Kawerau District Mayor Malcolm Campbell.

“We all agree with the need for investment in Three Waters assets, but there’s a better way to achieve the Government’s objectives and we want to work in partnership with them on that.” 

The action group will introduce fresh ideas for better water.  But these fresh ideas will ensure that our local communities continue to have a say on how the assets that they have bought and paid for are used to achieve our health and environmental goals.

Mayor Campbell said, “We do respect that other Councils have differing views and this is not intended to be a divisive stand, but a proactive way to work together.”

“We are the elected local voice of our communities – communities that are very clearly telling us that they don’t want control of the assets that generations of our ratepayers built up and paid for being snatched away from them as part of the Government’s plan,” Mayor Campbell said.

Chair of the group, Helen Worboys, Mayor of Manawatu said, “This is an inclusive campaign – it’s about safe drinking water for all New Zealanders, whoever and wherever they are.  More meaningful Mana Whenua representation is an important part of that.  It’s also an apolitical campaign – we’re completely focused on the issue regardless of political affiliation.

“We don’t believe that the best solution lies in putting our assets into what will be four of the largest companies in New Zealand – and then denying our communities their say in how those companies are run.”

At a local level, Kawerau District Council has already committed to our community to continue investing in our Three Waters infrastructure and the second stage of this six-year project has begun with the replacement of the drinking water pipes in the retail district of the town. In addition, the wastewater pipes were recently replaced in Plunket Street.

Communities 4 Local Democracy is taking a constructive approach to the situation by commissioning expert advice on alternative models that might achieve the objectives of Government and local communities.  It will be sharing its findings when they are complete. 

About Communities 4 Local Democracy

• www.communities4localdemocracy.co.nz

• Communities 4 Local Democracy partner councils (correct at Tuesday 15 December 2021):

Ashburton District Council

Central Hawkes Bay District Council

Christchurch City Council

Far North District Council

Grey District Council

Hurunui District Council

Kaikōura District Council

Kaipara District Council

Kawerau District Council

Manawatu District Council

Matamata-Piako District Council

Napier City Council

Ōpōtiki District Council

South Taranaki District Council

South Waikato District Council

Tararua District Council

Timaru District Council

Waimakariri District Council

Waimate District Council

Waipa District Council

Wairoa District Council

Westland District Council

Whangarei District Council