May 08, 2024
Water plan kick for touch
The Green Party says the coalition Government’s Local Water Done Well policy will cost ratepayers more than $185-billion dollars – whether it’s spread over years or decades.
Auckland has avoided a 25.8 percent water rate hike this year after Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown, worked out a compromise behind closed doors.
Greens’ co-leader Marama Davidson says the Government is floundering around for a way to pay for water infrastructure, after whipping up racial animosity over co-governance to sink Labour’s three waters scheme.
“Unfortunately the National Party, New Zealand First, and Act all whipped up incredible racism at the notion of simply Maori being a core part in the leadership part of the solution,” she says.
Ms Davidson says all the Government is doing with Local Water Done Well is pushing the issue of payment down the road – and in the meantime pipelines, sewage systems, and other water infrastructure is failing.
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