September 2021
To opt in/opt out of Three Waters is a big decision for Tauranga to make. Should this decision be made by a closed group of commissioners or by the ratepayers.
Have your say in the Community Feedback online survey. Click here
3 Waters Government Takeover. How will this affect Tauranga? What has TCC told us?
August 2021
As you know the central government has proposed Three Waters to New Zealand as the cure for all of NZ’s fresh water, sewage and stormwater problems.
The proposal is to takeover all the existing water infrastructure and operations of local authorities place them in central control and divide NZ into 4 operating areas with a shared governance structure between Maori groups and regional representatives. The justification is that the future estimated high cost per ratepayer if the water services are left in local control and how centralisation can do the job cheaper. This is all based on sensitive and secret numbers developed by a team from Scottish Water. The government does not intend to buy the current water infrastructure - just take it.
Now the problem is that only parts of NZ have poor water infrastructure, some communities have invested wisely and have very good infrastructure paid for by the local ratepayers. Tauranga is in the very good list. Local authorities face losing control over the assets they have paid for.
Under 3 Waters, Tauranga will be controlled from Hamilton.
What is the TCC position?
Local councils have until 30 September to reply to the minister about their ratepayer feedback and to date we have heard very little from TCC. PRRA has written to the commissioners and Tauranga City Council CEO outlining our concerns and asking for full disclosure so ratepayers can understand the proposal and provide feedback to the council. The letter is below.
In summary the main points are
1. Loss of local democratic control of our water supplies
2. Centralisation of water control and the new Governance structure
3. Will Tauranga be better off or worse off? Please provide and economic summary.
4. Tauranga Ratepayers need to vote on opting in/out through a referendum.
5. The cost of water infrastructure investment in Tauranga to date?
6. TCC projected costs per ratepayer for water in the future.
7. What is Scottish Water’s costs per ratepayer for water in the future.
8. Full disclosure to ratepayers.
9. Loss of revenue to TCC by removal of water rates and effect on borrowings.
This is a very important decision and the ratepayers must be included. Please keep informed of what happens.
This may be the first step to privatising NZ water.
“England and Wales privatised their water in 1989 and the results have been counter to what economic theory would predict. Rather than costs falling for users and infrastructure improving, rates have disproportionately increased and infrastructure investment keeps falling.”
Tauranga commission chair Anne Tolley: "We are confident that we have invested sensibly in our waters services, and will continue to do so. As our performance currently stands, we are amongst the very best service providers in New Zealand, but we acknowledge that by international standards there is still considerable work to do. Tauranga City Council is willingly participating in the Three Waters reform process and is working closely with councils throughout the central North Island on potential models for the future delivery of waters services. In our view, the reform process offers an opportunity to create an effective delivery model, while ensuring that the required national investment is available to build a better water future for New Zealand."
More reading:
1. DIA Summary of Proposal 2872-DIA-A3-A New Water with-without reform Map 20210526 v2.7
2. Hamilton City Council summary for ratepayers Presentation title (hamilton.govt.nz)
3. Google “Three Waters” to see other local body responses.
Main Points:
1.Central govt will take over all water, fresh water, waste water ( sewage) and stormwater. Someone in Hamilton will decide for Tauranga.
2.WHY -- it can only be centralisation and control. With a large part of TOW in there.
What does it mean for Tauranga….
Tauranga has a very high grade water and waste water setup and as ratepayers we have invested billions in it and carry the debt for it. We already pay water charges. There does not appear to be any benefit for Tauranga.
The govt claims their control will make it cheaper – the how is not obvious. See article below.
3. There will be no reimbursement for the investment to date by the local authority and ratepayers.
Tauranga city council Response 8 July 2021`
Surely this needs a referendum from the ratepayers of Tauranga, not a commissioner making a decision.
Click here to read a report from newsroom.com titled “Goverment must pay to buy back water”