4 November 2021
Media: NZME (Rotorua Daily Post and BOP Times)
Topic: Letter to Government from mayors re Three Waters Reforms
Enquiry
Reporter emails all mayors in the BOP region, shared THIS supplied media release and asked the following:
I'd like to find out if our respective elected members and commission
a) took part in the mayors' meeting as mentioned below, and
b) is part of the letter to the Prime Minister, and
c) if so, why are they taking part and what do they hope to achieve or if not, why not?
Response
From Mayor Steve Chadwick:
I did take part in the mayors’ meeting. We all agreed to work through LGNZ with respect to the Three Waters Reform programme and the letter came subsequent to the meeting.
I haven’t signed it at this point in time – we haven’t had the opportunity to discuss the latest regarding the reforms and consider if our Council’s preliminary position, which was sent as feedback to the current proposal, has changed.
I’m not going to take a position on behalf of our Council without discussion with our elected members first – they should all have a say.
As I said at today’s Operations & Monitoring Committee meeting, given the recent announcements I think it’s pertinent to have another discussion, see what the views are around the table and whether those have changed, consider if there are any issues arising that we want to feed into the working party that is to be established, and determine together if I should sign the letter on behalf of our Council.
I’ve asked for that discussion to be put on the agenda for a future meeting.
Other information supplied: No date was determined for that discussion as yet, it was something the mayor raised at today’s committee meeting and requested be put on a future agenda.