Opposition to the Three Waters asset grab is overwhelming, with tens of thousands of Kiwis submitting on Labour’s centralisation plan, National’s Local Government spokesperson Simon Watts says.

“Although submissions for the empowering legislation for Three Waters are yet to close, it is already clear that opposition to the Government’s plans to take over ownership of local assets is huge.

“The National Party has received more than 15,000 submissions directly on the plans, more than 1000 of which have indicated they want to be heard in person by the committee.

“This is despite Labour’s desperate attempts to create support for its ideologically driven changes. Not content with a $2.5 billion bribe in April, this week Labour announced another $44 million to try to buy councils’ support.

“If $2.5 billion wasn’t enough to get councils on side, the latest move looks like throwing good money after bad.

“Labour has also written to its members directly imploring them to submit in support of the plans, a sure sign that the public mood is against the plans.

“Labour’s plan would take water assets from local councils and put them into four mega-entities controlled by a complex and unaccountable Wellington bureaucracy.

“Three Waters is being driven by a Labour Party determined to impose its centralisation ideology against the wishes of local communities.

“National will repeal Three Waters, but it is still important that the public makes its voice heard.”