Labour has confirmed the worst fears of local communities by tabling a Bill to ram through its Three Waters Agenda, National’s Local Government spokesman Simon Watts says.

“Local government is in open revolt, and the public overwhelmingly opposes these reforms. Labour is unleashing hell on local government, putting their ideology before the wishes of people and outcomes.

“The Water Services Entities Bill, tabled in Parliament today, lays out the final plans for the theft of local assets and the establishment of a complex and unaccountable bureaucracy.

“The Government has consistently ignored alternatives proposed like establishing council controlled organisations or contracting, and have pursued their four mega-entities model.

“Under this model communities will lose their voices, cross subsidise their neighbours and get worse outcomes. 

“This is just the Labour Party centralising decision-making and rewarding its stakeholders at the expense of ratepayers.

“National has opposed these reforms consistently, and if elected in 2023, we will repeal and replace this broken model.”