Sensible water changes for Auckland

Simeon Brown and Wayne Brown announced:

The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining local control of water assets.

If the Council which ranges greatly in opinions supports this unanimously, it must be a pretty good plan. And keeping local control and reducing projected increases sound good to most.

“The previous government wasted $1.2 billion over several years to deliver a water reform plan that was wasteful, took away local control, and was divisive. It was resoundingly rejected by voters.

$1.2 billion flushed away on an ideological experiment.

The new model means Watercare will be able to borrow more money for long-term investment in water infrastructure and spread the borrowing over a longer period rather than front-loading the cost on to current ratepayers.

The common way to do infrastructure.