Anyone wanting to have their say about the government's Three Waters reform needs to speak up now before public submissions close at 11.59pm on Friday (July 22).

The government’s Finance and Expenditure committee is currently considering the Three Waters bill and it will take into consideration any public submissions received.

Waitaki MP Jacqui Dean is encouraging residents to share their opinions on the proposed reform - which has proven to be controversial both locally and nationally. 

Queenstown Lakes District Council has publicly opposed Three Waters on the basis there’s insufficient detailed information to support the proposed reforms; council data shows that three quarters of the resident’s ratepayers are also against it; and the Groundswell roadshow in opposition to Three Waters, which visited Wānaka in June, drew crowds of around 200 people. 

Waitaki MP Jacqui Dean, who opposes Three Waters, says residents should take the opportunity to make a submission. PHOTO: Supplied

See also: ‘Strong turnout at Three Waters roadshow’.

"I've had a lot of contact from local people deeply frustrated at how the government is pushing through Three Waters despite wide-spread opposition," Jacqui said. 

Under the Three Waters reform, water management would be transferred from the country’s 67 councils to four national entities, governed jointly by an appointed board and Māori, which would own and manage drinking water, wastewater and stormwater assets (the ‘three waters’).

The government says New Zealand’s water service infrastructure hasn’t been adequately maintained and, without change, the safety, reliability and affordability of these services will lead to more New Zealanders getting sick from contaminated drinking water, more sewage spills and increases in cost.

June’s ‘Three Waters Roadshow’ was well-attended by 200-or-so Wānaka residents. PHOTO: Wānaka App

Jacqui says the proposed reform is the “wrong approach to the water challenges we face”.

"Central government needs to work with local communities, not against them… to find the best ways to address the financial challenges preventing sustainable solutions, which could include establishing council-controlled organisations or contracting water services,” she said.

Learn more about the proposed Three Waters reform here or make a public submission here.

Submissions will close at 11.59pm on Friday (July 22).