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[DATE]

Committee Secretariat
Finance and Expenditure Committee
Parliament Buildings
Wellington

Dear Sir,

Thank you for providing the opportunity to make a submission on the Water Services Entities Bill.

This submission is on behalf of [NAME].

I oppose the four entity model of reform proposed by this Bill and ask the Select Committee to recommend that it be withdrawn and significantly revised on the basis that it is contrary to the basic property rights, the rights of local communities to have say over their local services, and will lead to poorer outcomes for communities.

My concerns with the current model are:

  1. Communities have not been consulted over the proposed confiscation of ratepayer funded infrastructure and services.

  2. The bill offers demonstrably poorer outcomes on a range of measures including accountability to customers, iwi-Maori partnerships, management and operational performance and flexibility for the future.

  3. The assumptions underpinning the four entity model has been shown to be flawed, and the cost savings required to meet financial targets are unrealistic.

  4. Any real local influence over services will be effectively lost.

  5. This bill does not have cross party support and will not offer the level of certainty needed for long term infrastructure investments.

  6. Protections against privatisation are weak and easily undermined.

I support the work of Communities 4 Local Democracy He hapori mo te Manapori, and ask for the Select Committee to give proper consideration of their alternative model for reform that protects these rights, while delivering all of the stated outcomes of government.

This Bill is not in the best interests of New Zealand and I ask the Select Committee to recommend the Bill be withdrawn to enable Government to work with local government to co-design a more effective model of reform with better outcomes for the whole community.

Thank you for the opportunity to oppose the Water Services Entities Bill.

Yours sincerely,
[NAME]