Taxpayers’ Union welcomes progress on Three Waters replacement

Responding to the Government’s announcement that they intend to improve access to finance for water council-controlled organisations (CCOs), Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, said:

“The Government is listening to New Zealanders who overwhelmingly opposed Labour’s expensive, bureaucratic and undemocratic Three Waters reforms.

“It is fantastic to see them delivering on this promise, incorporating many of the proposals recommended by the Technical Advisory Group formed by the Taxpayers’ Union. Increasing the ability of water service providers to take on long-term debt will ensure that the cost of water infrastructure is more fairly spread across all users over many years, rather than being lumped on the ratepayers of today – or worse, not undertaken at all.

“Additionally the changes to the Water Services Authority | Taumata Arowai make sense. Requiring them to consider costs imposed on suppliers is a significant step forward that will prevent the gold-plating that drives up costs while delivering at best marginal benefits to consumers.

“The removal of the requirement to uphold Te Mana o te Wai will ensure our water regulator focuses on delivering safe and efficient water services at an affordable price rather than trying to figure out how to comply with a concept which is about as fluid as the water it’s trying to regulate.”