2021 - Three Waters Reform
Our response to Government on impacts to Council and our community
Following the July announcement from Government, Council was given eight weeks to take a closer look at the reform proposals and carefully consider the impact on Ōpōtiki District Council and our community.
After the eight-week period, the Government will consider all the feedback from Councils across Aotearoa before deciding next steps in the process.
Council carefully considered the potential impact of the reform, identifying areas of concern and raising additional questions or concerns with relevant government departments. We have prepared a formal response on the reform and it has been sent to the Government by the deadline of 1 October.
Thank you to everyone who has provided their thoughts and feedback on the Three Waters Reform. Whether you spoke to a councillor, commented on Facebook or provided written or online feedback to Council directly, it has all helped us draft our reply to Minister Mahuta yesterday.
We don’t know what the next steps may look like, but we are pleased that the Ōpōtiki community chose to have (as much as has been possible in this timeframe) their voice heard.
As you may remember – this isn’t a council-led process, and it has not been a formal consultation. It was simply a very quick opportunity for feedback to prepare a response. We hope to still be able to conduct a formal consultation process should the next steps from central government allow.
Council held a workshop on Monday (27 October 2021) to talk through all this material to help shape our letter, which you can now read here: Letter to Minister Mahuta - DIA and LGNZ - Three Waters Reform - 28 September 2021
In short, our letter raises concerns and calls for a formal process through which our communities can have their say on such a big issue. Our incredible iwi partners stood alongside us and joined their names to our letter to show central government that we have a united voice on many of these issues and it is a matter that impacts all of us.
There is still a lot of change and discussion happening and we are still unsure what the next steps may look like. We will make sure you stay informed as we know more through this process.
Read more on our Three Waters Reform Proposal page.
