Election 17 – WATER
With a focus on developing a sustainable and healthy water supply for future generations, do you feel that it is still acceptable for our water to be given away in large volumes, without charge, to foreign businesses for commercial gain? If so, how would you address this issue?
| ACT
Water – Unlike Australia, we are endowed with copious rainfall and most provinces including the Bay of Plenty should not face major issues with competing demands for fresh water. However, it makes no sense to give away a precious resource like pure artesian spring water for bottling without some charge, regardless of whether the company is domestic or foreign, and whether the end consumers are here or overseas. ACT would make water rights tradeable, so that the market will drive up the price of the most precious water sources while still making sustainable irrigation viable for farmers. |
| LABOUR
from Nathaniel Blomfield, Labour Candidate for Coromandel
Water -No.
Labour plans to restore our rivers and lakes to a truly swimmable condition within a generation. We think that clean rivers are our birth-right, a taonga to Maori, a favourite place of recreation for New Zealanders. Everyone wants to be able to swim in their rivers and lakes. It is time to restore them for future generations.
Labour will require a reduction of run-off and pollution of our rivers, and lift water quality standards. Labour will employ young people off the dole through our Ready for Work programme to help with fencing, riparian planting, and other work to clean up our waterways.
A clean water royalty on commercial water consumers (not households, councils, or hydro dams) will help Regional Councils with the cost of cleaning up their rivers and lakes. The clean water royalty will vary between regions, water quality, and use – it will be fair and proportionate, and be set after we’ve consulted all the relevant stakeholders.
BY J Tinetti- Candidate for Labour Party
WATER – Clean water is the birth-right of all New Zealanders and vital to our continued prosperity. Labour will:
•Restore our rivers and lakes to a truly swimmable state within a generation
•Help farmers and other owners of waterways with fencing and riparian planting through our Ready to Work programme
•Give the regional councils the resources to clean up their waterways through a water royalty.
A royalty on the commercial consumption of water will assist with the cost of keeping our water clean. Households and councils will not pay any water royalty.
The royalty will be flexible to reflect the scarcity or abundance of water in different regions, the different quality of water, and its use. The royalty for bottled water will be based on per litre and the royalty for irrigation water will be based on per 1000 litres. It will be proportionated and fair. Levels will be set following consultation and the revenue will largely be returned to regional councils. |
| NATIONAL
Water –National is firmly committed to continuing to improve freshwater quality across NZ so Kiwis can better enjoy our great outdoors. The Government has an ambitious plan to improve water quality in our rivers and lakes that involves stronger direction to councils, tighter regulation and funding to support projects. Freshwater improvement projects covering over 100 rivers and lakes across New Zealand are to receive grants of $44 million. The Bay of Plenty has been allocated $8,250,000 – the greatest proportion of the fund.
To offer some context on the issue of water bottling and export – 213 billion litres of water that has been consented for bottling in New Zealand – this equates to around 2% of consumptive water use in New Zealand. Of the 213 billion litres consented, only 0.5% of that is used. A mere 26 million litres of water was exported in 2016, equivalent to just two minutes’ flow over the Huka falls or one and a half hours’ consumption of water in Auckland. |
| NZFIRST
WATER
New Zealand First says, “Water is our most precious resource”.
The Rt Hon Winston Peters says, “If foreign companies want our water they will pay for it”.
Under New Zealand First Principles: –
• Priorities for granting water rights must place public benefit before private benefit.
• Rights to take and use water are available only to NZ people (citizens and permanent residents) and NZ owned companies, and must not be aligned to overseas persons or interests whether directly or indirectly.
• Water must not be taxed or subjected to any charge beyond the recovery of capital, and the operational costs (including a fair rate of return) of taking storing and reticulating it for the uses intended.
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