Will Three Waters survive the changing tide?
Opinions are split on whether the reform will hold firm or wash away following local government election results.
Mōrena and welcome to The Bulletin for Tuesday, October 11, by Anna Rawhiti-Connell. Presented in partnership with Z Energy.
In today’s edition: farmers will start to pay for emissions from 2025; Wayne Brown calls for another resignation; prison visits still off; but first, will Three Waters be sacrificed for the sake of détente?
Signals have been sent via local government election results about support for Three Waters (Image: Pexels)
How many sitting days left to get reform through?
After this weekend’s local government results, most commentators agree signals have been sent about support for some of the government’s key reform programmes, specifically Three Waters. Technically speaking, the government is only inhibited by its own constraints. Peter Dunne recently ran some numbers about how many sitting days the current government has left to get reform through and by his count on September 15, it had 44 days. Very few dispute the need for investment in water infrastructure. A 2021 report found a spend of up to $185b may be required by 2051, with costs of up to $14k a year being passed onto residents without change. Over the last year the issue has become about how that change is executed. It was meant to be voluntary for councils but the government reversed on that in September last year.
A death wish for the government
That’s how new mayor of Nelson, Nick Smith, described Three Waters. The Dunedin council exited a Three Waters opposition group before the election. Outgoing Dunedin mayor Aaron Hawkins lost to Jules Radich and counts himself as a victim of the disgruntlement with proposed government reforms including Three Waters. Three Waters hasn’t been popular since the get-go. Phil Goff, a lifelong Labour man, has mounted a strong case for why it's not right for Auckland and did so again in his Gone by Lunchtime interview (15 minutes in –yes, I’m linking to this two days in a row, he’s very candid). It’s something Goff and new mayor Wayne Brown agree on.
Co-governance to be thrown under the bus?
Bernard Hickey, in a thumping response to the election results that traverses 30 or so years of political decision-making, thinks co-governance will get thrown under the bus. Expanding on that in a Twitter thread, Hickey wrote: “Three Waters is all about sneaking thru [sic] higher taxes/water charges & higher debt without having to ask voters locally or centrally for permission. Sadly, also now hit with backlash against co-governance, which those who do it/know it have no problem with (Finlayson etc)”. Hickey has recently looked at the Auditor General’s criticism of the bill that would enable the reform.
Why does everyone hate Wellington?
Newsroom has been surveying candidates and support for Three Waters from successful candidates is woeful. Newsroom’s Jo Moir breaks down the lessons Labour and National may take from the weekend and suggests the government may just “ram” Three Waters through, but expects a backdown on other reform. An initial count from the Herald’s Thomas Coughlan in the latest episode of On the Tiles has the three Wellington councils standing alone in their support of Three Waters. Coughlan says the government needs to decide if it wants to spend the next year fighting with local government, or in my own words, sacrifice reform for the relaxation of tension. To end, Newsroom’s Jono Mine lands some salient points about devolution in his (satirically, he assures us) headlined piece Why does everyone hate Wellington?
This is business banking for better
Kiwibank wants more Kiwi businesses implementing sustainability initiatives to help reduce their carbon footprint – but they know how hard – and expensive – that can be. So they’ve created the Sustainable Business Loan with preferential internet rates, to make it more affordable for businesses to make a positive impact. Find out more about the Sustainable Business Loan here (sponsored)
Sustainability & lending criteria, terms & conditions & fees apply.
New Zealand farmers will start to pay for emissions from 2025
Stuff has gotten out ahead of a big announcement on agricultural emissions and are reporting that the government will release its consultation document on He Waka Eke Noa this morning. If the proposal is seen through to completion, New Zealand farmers will start to pay for emissions from 2025 in a world-first scheme which could be signed off by cabinet in early 2023. Luke Malpass and Anna Whyte have all the details covered and write that it will mark the end of a 20-year battle to price agricultural emissions that began with Helen Clark’s so-called fart tax in the early 2000s. Eloise Gibson explains how the scheme will work.
Winds of change continue to rock the ship
‘Tis bad political metaphor season but new Auckland mayor Wayne Brown has said Auckland is “sailing into an economic storm”. After one official (Auckland Transport chair Adrienne Young-Cooper) resigned, Brown chased that with a call for another to go. Results are still shaking out as special votes get counted and are now pointing to two seats swinging back to centre-left candidates. As Toby Manhire writes, this may make things a little harder for Brown. This morning Stuff’s Todd Niall looks at the realities Brown faces as he tries to “fix Auckland”, while the Herald’s Simon Wilson looks at how Brown might fix transport (paywalled) in the city.
Our members make the difference
Their support ensures we can continue to employ and commission diverse voices covering stories from a range of perspectives and make them freely available to all. From Spinoff stalwarts Toby Manhire and Alex Casey to young writers like Charlotte Muru-Lanning and Shanti Mathias, our journalists and contributors do valuable work that is only possible with the support of readers like you. If you can, support the team and donate today.
Nearly half of all prisoners and their families don't know when prison visits will resume
RNZ’s Anneke Smith picks up on the continuing story of prison visits. Or the lack of prison visits. Staff shortages at Corrections are ongoing and as Smith writes, nearly half of all New Zealand prisoners and their families are in the dark over when they will see one another again. An advocacy group for the children and family of those in prison say it will have huge knock on effects. When I first picked this story up from 1News’ Maiki Sherman in September, I also hadn’t thought about the implications for justice but the restrictions also mean lawyers aren't able to meet clients face to face. The Human Rights Commission has warned Corrections about their legal obligations to those serving time. As Smith details, Corrections isn't budging.
Click and collect
Paul Eagle’s mayoral bid scrubbed from the face of the earth/internet
Computer glitch results in underreporting of Covid cases yesterday
Russia launches biggest air strikes since start of Ukraine war
Hundreds more whales beached in second Chatham Islands stranding
Unions highlight this year's best pay deals for workers
Got some feedback about The Bulletin, or anything in the news? Get in touch with me at thebulletin@thespinoff.co.nz.
If you liked what you read today, share The Bulletin with friends, family and colleagues.
Jack Marshall reports on the graffiti covering the Wellington sign that no one seems to have noticed. In the past month ASB and BNZ have each donated tens of millions of dollars worth of land or cash to charity. Terry Baucher asks why they've suddenly become extremely charitable – or is there something else going on? Toby Manhire presents a 10-step plan to reverse the “absolute shambles” of local elections voter turnout. And people who were at Eden Park on Saturday review the Rita Ora half time performance they weren’t allowed to show on telly.
“It just won’t die, but I can’t bring myself to kill it off”
The fourth Labour government is haunting my eyes and ears at the moment. After recommending the latest Gone By Lunchtime not once but twice this week, today’s highly recommended long read is on New Zealand’s old, large and inefficient vehicle fleet. George Driver details our love affair with cheap imported cars for North and South, which was of course enabled by the sweeping reform of the late 80s. Driver really nails a conundrum I have because I refuse to spend money on cars and drive ones that get passed on from friends and family, yet get very tangled on the climate implications. Ostensibly about cars, it is, dare I say it, a cultural and economic study of this country.
Commonwealth Games for Christchurch again?
Christchurch’s new mayor Phil Mauger wants the city to host a Commonwealth Games again. The city hosted the Games in 1974 but things were a little different then. Stuff’s Tina Law undertakes a quick feasibility study, featuring some numbers that Mauger might find grounding, and bonus photos from that golden era to make us feel nostalgic. This year’s Games in Birmingham had a budget of $1.5b (NZD). We hosted the 1974 Games for $3.5m and made a profit.
Low turnout. End of story. No big messages.