Post by Kiwi Frontline on Aug 1, 2021 12:55:04 GMT 12
HE PUAPUA IN ACTION – LABOUR’S THREE WATERS REFORM – by Dr Muriel Newman.
In September 2012 the Maori King Tuheitia told a meeting of over 1,000 people from throughout the country that in spite of fresh water falling from the sky as rain and snow, it was owned by Maori: “We have always owned the water!”
He said “the ultimate goal for iwi is to retain management and control of water…”
Just nine years later, the Minister of Local Government Nanaia Mahuta is planning to deliver on her cousin’s goal by passing legislation that will give iwi, including her own Tainui tribe, the right to manage and control the country’s freshwater.
Minister Mahuta’s plan will result in freshwater, stormwater and wastewater assets and infrastructure owned and controlled by the country’s 67 local authorities – and paid for by generations of ratepayers – being transferred to four new regional water agencies 50:50 co-governed by iwi. Although local authorities will provide all of the assets, they will be given only 50 percent of the control. The other 50 percent will be given to local iwi.
Not only will councils effectively have control of their assets cut in half, Cabinet papers reveal an extraordinary requirement: all decisions undertaken by these new agencies “will require a super majority decision of 75 per cent”. That means no decisions can be made without the approval of iwi. In effect, iwi will have a veto right and be in control of all New Zealand water services decision-making......
Continue reading Muriel’s latest weekly NZCPR newsletter here > www.nzcpr.com/he-puapua-in-action-labours-three-waters-reform/
In September 2012 the Maori King Tuheitia told a meeting of over 1,000 people from throughout the country that in spite of fresh water falling from the sky as rain and snow, it was owned by Maori: “We have always owned the water!”
He said “the ultimate goal for iwi is to retain management and control of water…”
Just nine years later, the Minister of Local Government Nanaia Mahuta is planning to deliver on her cousin’s goal by passing legislation that will give iwi, including her own Tainui tribe, the right to manage and control the country’s freshwater.
Minister Mahuta’s plan will result in freshwater, stormwater and wastewater assets and infrastructure owned and controlled by the country’s 67 local authorities – and paid for by generations of ratepayers – being transferred to four new regional water agencies 50:50 co-governed by iwi. Although local authorities will provide all of the assets, they will be given only 50 percent of the control. The other 50 percent will be given to local iwi.
Not only will councils effectively have control of their assets cut in half, Cabinet papers reveal an extraordinary requirement: all decisions undertaken by these new agencies “will require a super majority decision of 75 per cent”. That means no decisions can be made without the approval of iwi. In effect, iwi will have a veto right and be in control of all New Zealand water services decision-making......
Continue reading Muriel’s latest weekly NZCPR newsletter here > www.nzcpr.com/he-puapua-in-action-labours-three-waters-reform/