Analysis of the Government’s three waters reforms proposal has provided further perspective for Tasman District Council but questions around the implications, costs and timeline still remain.
A report examining the Three Waters reforms and what they mean for Tasman will be presented at a Full Council meeting on 29 September.
The public will have access to the document on the Council website prior to the meeting.
The community will also be able to find out more about the reforms and ask questions when Council holds a Zoom webinar on 29 September from 5.30pm.
The report includes analysis by Council staff into the Government’s projected savings and the claimed benefits of transferring Tasman’s three waters infrastructure into one or more new water service entities.
Tasman Mayor Tim King said the Council was putting a lot of time and effort into the implications of the proposals for the district as well as neighbouring top of the south councils and wider local government sector.
Concerns centred on the loss of ownership of the assets and the complex nature of the proposed governance arrangements involving multiple councils and iwi.
A number of other factors which impacted on the assessment included the Water Services Bill and the role of the new Water Services Regulator, Taumata Arowai, on future investment requirements, costs and timeframes.
Tim said while the provided financial information around the proposal demonstrated significant benefits, any potential advantages need to be tested and considered against greatly reduced levels of control over Three Waters capital expenditure and prioritisation across the many regions included in the various entities.
“We need to be sure that this proposal on the table is the right one for Tasman,” Tim said.
“These proposed arrangements do not appear to provide a clear ability to influence future investment decisions on three waters infrastructure based on the needs of the local area, residents and ratepayers.
“The questions over assumptions and forecasts that form the rationale behind the proposal will shape our feedback to DIA.”
Under the proposals, parts of Marlborough and the Tasman communities are split between entities C and D.
Both councils have indicated this is not their preference and want greater clarity on what the governance arrangements of the proposed entities will be, as well as a decision on the southern border.
“Murchison is very much part of Tasman,” Tim said.
No decision is required from Council at this stage on the Three Waters proposals.
The current eight-week timeframe allowed councils to look at the information provided by DIA and provide feedback.
It was not the timeframe for the Council to decide whether or not they support the reforms.
A decision around next steps, timeframes and whether reforms are modified and remain opt out or become mandatory will be made by Government based on feedback from councils around the country.
Tim had received a high level of enquiries and correspondence in regards to the Council’s position on the matter. This is understandable due to the scale and importance of the issue.
A decision to support the Government’s preferred three waters service delivery option is not lawful at present due to the Local government Act prohibiting Council from divesting its ownership or interest in a water service except to another local government organisation.
Also, the Council cannot make a formal decision on its three waters service delivery without making a Long Term Plan amendment.
This will require public consultation process as set out in Section 83 of the LGA.
“Once the Government has decided whether or not to modify the current reform proposals, and determined the timing of the next steps based on the feedback received, we will be engaging with the community prior to making any decisions”
Visit tasman.govt.nz for the Webinar Zoom link. If you have any questions you would like answered, please send them to info@tasman.govt.nz before 5.00 pm Tuesday 28 September.