West Coast council grills Local Government NZ president

Local Government NZ (LGNZ) has assured it is working for the interest of West Coast councils on the issue of three waters reform.

LGNZ president Stuart Crosby has been on the coast this week, and yesterday met representatives from the Grey and Westland district councils, as well as the West Coast Regional Council.

His visit came after all three councils questioned continuing their LGNZ membership, with three waters a hot point.

Crosby said the meetings were "very constructive", noting that the Grey District Council's opposition to the three waters reform was "very clear".

While LGNZ felt there needed to be change, the particular model did not cut it, and that was the position of most territorial authorities in the country, he said.

"Ninety five percent of our sector agrees that the system needs to change. The key is, what change?"

The dialogue with the Westland District Council had been about the broader issues being pushed by the government at present - namely the Resource Management Act reform and the loss of a local community voice in the process.

"The one that is going to have a bigger impact on communities is the resource management (law) reform."

While the regional council was not directly involved in providing three waters, it did have a regulatory role.

Crosby said LGNZ was opposed to the government's three waters proposal and had made its position clear.

"It was good to clear up some misunderstandings about what they thought LGNZ was doing."

As a lobby group for local government, it was trying to "work with" the government to make the reform more suitable for local conditions and communities.

The loss of a local voice in the proposed structure was clearly a source of angst, he said.

"The key issue is getting the local voice."

However, the most recent government announcement on three waters made it clear it was going to proceed.

"We see no backing off whatsoever."

Regional council chairman Allan Birchfield said from what he heard, the LGNZ position had not changed.

They were "pretty persuasive" they had been able to get concessions from the government on three waters reform, but he was still not convinced.

"I really didn't hear anything that is going to help that situation.

"(Local Government Minister Nanaia) Mahuta has said she wants it baked into place before the election so the new government can't change it."

Birchfield said the "forfeiture of ratepayers' assets" and the "handing over to Māori" of a governance role within the proposed three waters structure were the key issues for him.

But what he heard from LGNZ yesterday was that all councils needed to be in a collective buy-in.

"It's the same old story, 'we've got to be in the tent'. I'm not really convinced that's going to achieve anything. I think Nanaia Mahuta is going to ram it through anyway."

Greymouth Mayor Tania Gibson said a report would go to the next council meeting to consider the benefits of LGNZ membership.

"We certainly put forward our unhappiness about the way (three waters has) been handled, and the lack of representation."

Local Democracy Reporting is Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air