Summarised by Centrist
The government’s long-promised repeal of Labour’s Three Waters reforms has officially passed its third reading, clearing the way for a new framework called Local Water Done Well.
The replacement strips out co-governance, returns water management to local councils, and is being sold as a victory for “localism and choice.”
NZ First’s Casey Costello said the new model was “urgently required” to address ageing pipes and underinvestment.
“Chronic underinvestment and the lack of sustainable management… has come home to roost.” She stressed that the plan preserves local ownership while allowing councils to pick their own delivery models.
National MP Ryan Hamilton was even more direct: “Goodbye Three Waters, hello Local Water Done Well. Goodbye co-governance, hello locally chosen and designed options.”
Labour called the overhaul a backwards step, with Megan Woods arguing it shifts financial risk to councils and ratepayers while giving up economies of scale. “The changes have led to an average increase in water charges for households,” she said. Labour’s Tangi Utikere added there’s “no adequate financial support” to help councils implement the changes.
Te Pāti Māori was scathing. MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi called the bill “racist” and “atrocious,” saying it erased Māori from water governance and ignored obligations under Te Tiriti. “Removing these provisions is not progress, it is reform, it is regression.”
The government insists the plan offers a more flexible, locally accountable approach without the controversial centralisation or co-governance structures of its predecessor.
