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Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta says her Three Waters reforms aren’t about ownership.
National Party leader Judith Collins is claiming the reforms will give Ngāi Tahu a share in Te Waipounamu water assets.
Ms Mahuta says she’s trying to ensure the system works well to produce clean, safe drinking water and better quality of water going back into rivers, lakes and the ocean.
She says 67 councils have water infrastructure, and she is asking if that is best for the country.
"It's never been about ownership. It's about improved service delivery and funding waters infrastructure that is going to set us up so we can be better placed for growth and development, provision of drinking water but also addressing serious water needs in our smaller communities that are often challenged around getting water," Ms Mahuta says
She says the Three Waters reform is not the way to resolve questions around the rights and interests of Māori.
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