Before we lose our local government for good, we need to stand up and protest central governments interference in our local councils. While the time maybe right to take stock of how our regional council and local councils operate and if they do have a true mandate to make decision on behalf of residents, there is never a time to throw the baby out with the bath water. Minister Chris Bishop says we have lost faith in local government evidence by low voter turnout and is the reason for the central governments push to change the system. Is this the real or perceived reason for low voter numbers. He also believes that rates will be driven down eventually, when have rates every been driven” down”. 

The greatest and unfounded reason for opposition to labours three waters was the mandatory inclusion of iwi representation. In the proposed boards to replace regional councils there will be no iwi representation. Chris Bishops says the mayors will be expected to represent voters from the Māori and general role. This proposal is yet another coalition attack on Aotearoa’s founding treaty our only constitutional agreement giving shared responsibility for our natural resources, with Māori having the unique right to exercise tino rangatiratanga (full authority/chieftainship) over their natural resources. In recent local elections all Wellington regions councils voted to have or retain Māori wards on councils including the Greater Wellington Regional Council. How then can central government override this and talk about Mayors representing all, on their proposed boards.

We should ask how much the voting for a Māori ward on to the GWRC influenced this unmandated decision. Is it that, representation as of right for Māori  stands in the way of government’s ultimate aim, privatization of water. We need to protest this and form a people’s lobby to oppose the disestablishment of our duly elected GWRC. I intend to organise a public meeting in January to organise protest action.

Contact facebook  wai-water for life or Teresa Homan, email tshoman@kinect.co.nz or gintyjane@ gmail.com

Teresa Homan 

A “thank you”to Teresa Homan for sending this article to The Upper Hutt Connection.

01/12/25