There’s a better model for reform.
You can read it here.
We’re Communities 4 Local Democracy, and
we’re bringing fresh ideas for better water.
We’re 30 councils strong, representing around 1.2 million people from Cape Reinga to the Waitaki River and from Haast to Mahia.
We believe that we can do better than the ‘one size fits none’ proposals from the Government, and that we can deliver better services while still remaining affordable and locally responsive.We want better services, local responsiveness and accountability, public ownership and meaningful Mana Whenua involvement.
We’re Communities 4 Better Services
We support the higher standards being place into place by the Government’s new water regulator Taumata Arowai. Local Government is ready to work together to deliver these improvements while keeping locally focused and responsive services.
We’re Communities 4 meaningful Mana Whenua representation.
The Government’s proposal is a poor solution for Mana Whenua, offering the same watered down representation that councils are being offered. We want to build on existing local relationships with Mana Whenua to offer real and meaningful partnership.
We’re Communities 4 Local Responsibility and Accountability.
We believe in the rights of local communities to direct how their local infrastructure grows to meet their needs. We believe in the rights of our local communities to make decisions about their own services. We don’t want to hand over the control of how we service our communities to remote and unaccountable water companies.
We’re Communities 4 Real Public Ownership.
Everyone needs water, and the four water companies being proposed by the Government are an easy and extremely appealing target for privatisation. The protections the Government are suggesting could be easily torn up by a future government. We want to keep local infrastructure in direct ownership of local communities, protecting it against privatisation.
“Our 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.”
— Helen Worboys, Mayor of Manawatu District