July 01, 2021
Settlements could complicate Three Waters reform
A Māori environmental consultant says Māori need more detail on how they fit into the proposed new bodies that will look after the nation’s freshwater, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure.
The proposals for Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta’s Three Waters reforms were announced yesterday.
Tina Porou says while there was an extensive public consultation in the process, there also needed to be direct engagement with iwi and hapu at the drafting stages.
She says Māori will want to be involved in planning and consenting water infrastructure.
"How do you manage that when in some of those big entities you may have over 100 iwi who all have deeds of settlement, who are all participating in processes around rights and interests in freshwater, which this impinges, who all have settlements and statutory acknowledgements that do apply to these Three Waters," she says.
Tina Porou says many Māori communities have had to put up with having some of the worst drinking water standards in the country, so they’re open to reform.
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