Govt must guarantee debt or users will pay the price, says Watercare
Watercare had already doubled down on user charges; now it’s tripling down. With the Government’s promise to repeal Labour’s Three Waters reform in its first 100 days, the big drinking water and wastewater services provider tells Newsroom it’s now unable to finance Auckland’s infrastructure needs.
Chief executive Dave Chambers has written to new local government minister Simeon Brown asking that the Government provide a backstop to the water utility’s borrowing – and he says it needs answers urgently.
If it doesn’t get that guarantee, it will have to accelerate an already rapid programme to raise Aucklander’s water user charges. He acknowledges it will be a “massive shock” to Aucklanders’ household and business budgets
Where’s your hatred for 3 Waters now clowns?
Where’s all your screams about co-governance and Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaori get too much race baiting rhetoric now you muppets?
Our water system is under immense stress from mass immigration policies that no one wants to pay the infrastructure upgrades for and mass dairy intensification no one wants to stop!
But remind me how it’s all about the Māori’s getting too much!
There are two wars going on right now over water, and because this country is dumb as fuck thanks to a steady diet of intellectual mediocrity via Seven Sharp and The Project, you have no idea what they are.
The first war over Water is being conducted as a culture war. “Da Bloody Maaaaaaaris is stealing da water”! is the battle cry of these slack jowled redneck crackers. They never acknowledge that it was John Key selling 49% of the Hydro Assets that triggered Māori going to the Waitangi Tribunal and the Waitangi Tribunal agreed with Māori that they do have an interest in water and that it was the State’s responsibility to negotiate that interest with Māori. 3 Waters is the culmination of that interpretation of the Tribunals legal ruling, trying to concoct a Qanon conspiracy that the Māori elite are taking over is as stupid as it is stupid.
The culture war is where Groundswell and the new Stop Co-Governance racist redneck crackers are crucial, they are the foot soldiers who ring Talkback, write letters and refer to Cindy a lot on Social Media.
The second war over water is the economic political one. This is where the actual battle over water access, pricing and regulation is being fought. This is where Federated Farmers and Fonteera are fighting.
The dark money to fund the first fight is coming from wealthy cliques and individuals within the Agribusiness elites because they know if they win the culture war on this, they can continue polluting and making money.
There is no Māori conspiracy, just corporate interests manipulating your petty bigotry.
You don’t realise this because we have Seven Sharp and The Project keeping you dumb, and thanks to that brain meat mediocrity, the culture war grifters keep winning.
You are so easy to manipulate Nu Zilind, just tell a white bloke that a Māori bloke is getting something they aren’t and they will allow any interest to fuck them over!
Feeling thirsty yet Auckland?
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There was a joke years ago by Jasper Carrot, I can’t remember the lead up but the punchlines always stuck in my mind – “Now we have a bunch of sharks selling us our water.”
The Three Waters approach was to establish an entity separate from the councils so it could borrow the investment money. The councils having debt caps so need to get the money for investment off their water customers. The useful about the Maori co-governance side – it ticked the WT aspect and also ensured a separation from council for the borrowing purpose.
The irony is that the Labour policy on Three Waters is the same one National wants in other areas – offshore investment in infrastructure investment but coz of Maori and loss of provincial councils pro business/farmers in water policy.
Everyone know but they don’t care. This tribal mentality by pakeha is why they can’t see reason when Maori are involved in the conversation
Free Aotearoa
Hilarious really, our council is talking 18-20% rate increases due to aged, not ageing infrastructure. They got $12m in 3 waters money which has been spent on anything but water but have now missed out on another $30m because they amongst others helped kick 3 waters into touch. Now they like Auckland and all other councils are saying we are fucked and the government needs to change the funding system. Morons!!!!
Like Seymour and Peters they didn’t realise that cooperation is better than divorce.
If they sat down with people other than the money grabbers and racists they will achieve far more for the country quicker than being devisive.
They have lost the idea that Government role is to provide for the people regardless of race or socio economic status but are concentrated on looking after their financiers.
Exactly. You explain it well and anyone with half a brain would get it, reading this.
But they won’t read it, or they won’t admit it’s true.
Pathetic info-tainment on TV or SM has made them dumb and disinterested in what’s going on around them.
Now, water problems will continue and be a lot more expensive to deal with because most people refused to think and see reason with their blind acceptance of what the moaners said.
They are the ‘perpetually outraged’ as Bryan Cadogan, Clutha District Mayor, called them and childish petulance guides their behaviour.
Inept councils full of incompetents, wasting money when they have huge problems to deal with, as you say, aged NOT aging infrastructure. It’s well past it’s use-by date and those elected representatives make the worst of decisions.
Good heavens.
Half a brain replies ” good heavens”.
Awesome comments Joy & UTB and totally agree
Well said UTB.
The neo-liberals want to privatize water. They will attempt to do it via Maori with 3 Waters or via Watercare being loaded up with debt. The John Key decision on Maori interest in water will eventually see Maori being paid a big royalty for water supply to Auckland. Whether the water comes from the Waikato or the dams. After all the Maori King stated “Maori own the rain”.
nice dream bro got any proof?
They get what they voted for.
Which is good governance not racist policies that divided the country
The divisive rhetoric came from the Right.
Using Wedge Politics & big money donations, this far right Coalition of Clowns acquired power.
Now they have to own the results of the misinformed hatred their lies stirred up.
Civil unrest lies ahead, especially when the easily led realise they’ve been duped.
Suck it up – you voted for it.
A wedge issue is a political or social issue which is controversial or divisive within a usually-united group. Wedge issues can be advertised or publicly aired in an attempt to strengthen the unity of a population, with the goal of enticing polarized individuals to give support to an opponent or to withdraw their support entirely out of disillusionment. The use of wedge issues gives rise to wedge politics.
Your definition of good governance is appalling. All health professions academics and specials as well of the world are appalled at the repealing of the smoke legislation. This is a dictatorship government and are the instigators of separatism. Labour brought the country together.
There are plenty of reasons 3Waters was a stupid idea. Giving control to unelected troughers because of an accident of birth was only one of them.
Well LB I am sure the words “accident of birth” bring the memories of over heard mutterings in your childhood flooding back, but it looks like sticking with the status quo is the choice of Neanderthals.
I think you will find Neanderthals are a higher evolved hominid than LB.
Weren’t you lucky then that you were accidentally born to a higher level.
Was, and still is, N.Z. BUILDING cranes all over our whenua, a sign of a land in prosper, 70, 80, 90, 20, what outside of covid, is their exploit blaim.
Our new Finance Minister, in Parliament, chanling, Maggie, what a thing, her words will, down fall her.
National tried to do a 3 waters model for roads in the 1990’s.
Bomber there ye are, cranes in the sky line, sign of prosperity, how fuck them not.
So the majority voted for the “far right”?
Water comes down from the sky for exactly nothing. You can capture it from your house gutters into a water tank. Don’t pay for water from the council. Let them shut it off. You don’t need them.
Gee thanks Bear Grylls, and the storm water and sewage?
Any allowance for house size & the number of people living in the house, how clean is the roof & gutter, trees & birds perching or nesting in them, what if it is a rental house, unless your house is multi-story with all the water requirements on the bottom floor you will need a pressure pump as well, the condition of the roof & gutter-you only need a few holes to have the occupants buying bottled water to survive. It might work for larger houses with 1 or 2 occupants but it is not a realistic proposal for most. Having tanks to water the garden/lawn is more feasible if they can afford it.
Cue the stupidity.
So “informed” when focussed on one small piece of a complex puzzle.
But all ups to you Nitrium, you clearly have a superior understanding of the issue than the rest of us. Well done on stating the
obvious and making an idiot of
yourself.
Keep it up
When you have unelected bought and paid-for people who’ll vote for deals that benefit their masters. What do you think will happen?
The corporate elite want to pad their balances sheet with revenue streams and assets so that they can score 35-year contracts for services! That’s all this BS is.
As opposed to elected bought and paid for people who benefit their masters Den? I’d say what you get is the current coalition.
Exactly!
Labour did it!
The three waters policy was not sold properly to the NZ public but now we are faced with double digit rate increases as the majority of local councils have no money. This is not good as the new government is dumping policy without anything at all to replace what is being dumped. People need to speak up. Rates are already expensive our central government needs to help.