Summarised by Centrist
The battle over New Zealand’s water governance is on the boil, with the Taxpayers’ Union continuing efforts to end “undemocratic” co-governance once and for all.
According to Peter Williams, despite the new government’s tougher stance, progress has been slow. National, in particular, is hesitant to take decisive action.
The Taxpayers’ Union argues that the bureaucracy is pushing for co-governance based on misinterpreted legal advice, continuing Labour’s legacy.
Freshwater regulations remain contentious, with local councils required to involve iwi in decision-making processes under the National Policy Statement on Freshwater.
Williams says that local councils are spending millions of ratepayer dollars on consultations to uphold ‘Te Mana o Te Wai’, embedding it deeply into freshwater policy.
Arguing for transparency about claims of Māori ownership of water, the TPU has called on Attorney-General Judith Collins to release the legal advice justifying co-governance.
Collins refused to release the information, insisting that public interest does not outweigh other factors.
“If knowing whether the politician’s claims that Māori “own” the water are true or not isn’t in the public interest, what on earth is?” writes Williams.
