3 Waters update

 

The Government has announced it will introduce legislation into the House within the next few weeks to repeal 3 Waters.

In a press release the Minister for Local Government, Simeon Brown, said: 

“The Coalition Government will instead implement a new regime which recognises the importance of local decision-making and flexibility for communities and councils to determine how their water services will be delivered in future…We’ve listened to calls from Mayors around the country for swift action and clarity…The Bill will also disestablish the previous government’s Northland and Auckland Water Services Entity, ending any remaining costly and unnecessary activity involved in setting up this body.”

Freshwater stoush

The Northland Regional Council (NRC) wants to know what you think about its proposed Freshwater Management Plan. 

The draft includes radical changes that farmers say would threaten their economic viability, including wider margins from waterways and removing stock from hill country land steeper than 25 degrees.

The Council has proposed these rules to meet the Te Mana o te Wai principles for freshwater introduced by the previous Labour government in the revised National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2020. Section 3.2 states:

Ownership of Whangarei Harbour goes to Court

On the 12th of February, the Whangarei High Court will hear applications from no fewer than 15 Māori groups who are seeking orders recognising Customary Marine Title and Protected Customary Rights to the Whangarei Harbour and coastal areas extending North to Bream Head and South to Bream Tail, including the Hen and Chickens Islands.  

Garrick Tremain Cartoon - Shoplifting relief

 

Fluoridation Debacle

 

The Whangarei District Council (WDC) has got itself into a right mess, not entirely of its own making. The former Labour government removed the right given to local communities to decide whether to fluoridate their water supply and gave it to the Ministry of Health. 

On the 27th of July 2022, the Director-General of Health (Ashley Bloomfield) directed fourteen local authorities to fluoridate their water supply, including the WDC.