Whakatāne District Council is calling for the community to provide feedback on the Government's Three Waters Reform proposal.
The government is currently proposing significant changes to the delivery of three waters (stormwater, wastewater and drinking water) including the creation of four publicly-owned entities to deliver these services. One of these entities would provide Three Waters services to the Whakatāne district and 21 other local council areas encompassing Thames-Coromandel, Hamilton, Hauraki, Matamata-Piako, Waikato, Waipa, Waitomo, South Waikato, Stratford, Taupō, Tauranga, Western Bay of Plenty, Ōpōtiki, Kawerau, Rotorua Lakes, New Plymouth, Ōtorohanga, Rangitīkei, Ruapehu, South Taranaki and Whanganui.
"In its simplest explanation, the Government is proposing a new way of delivering the services that allow us to turn on the tap and have safe drinking water; to flush the toilet and have sewerage taken to a treatment plant; and for rainwater to drain away without flooding. It is about funding, building and managing the pipes and infrastructure involved in delivering drinking water, waste water and storm water,” says Whakatāne District Mayor Judy Turner.
“Currently local councils own and operate those services. The Government is proposing that there are benefits and efficiencies into transferring that responsibility and the assets to four new authorities.
The process we are going through at the moment is thoroughly testing the information we have been provided by central government and identifying any issues, concerns or opportunities and I’m keeping a totally open mind as we work through that process.
We are not required in the timeframe to make a decision as to whether Council is 'for or against' the proposed changes to how Three Waters services are proposed to be delivered to our communities - we just have to provide feedback.
We're calling on our community to give us initial feedback now, to help shape our response to Government and we’ll continue talking to our communities as the reform process unfolds," Mayor Turner adds.
Information provided by the Government about the Reforms and links to other sources of information is available at whakatane.govt.nz/three-waters-reform. Interested people can follow a link through to a feedback form and some of the issues and opportunities that Council has identified and are thinking about. Feedback can also be emailed directly to ThreeWatersReform@whakatane.govt.nz