Good morning, Friend

I’ve got some great news: we’ve won Te Mana o Te Wai.

You’ll recall Te Mana o Te Wai came about as a result of David Parker’s National Policy Statement on Freshwater Management and required councils to figure out what the “mana” of the water entailed and how best to preserve it. That included the spiritual health of the water and was, apparently, different in every region or iwi’s rohe (geographical area).

Jordan called me last night and said “turn on Parliament TV right now – the Government is about to snooker the regional councils rushing through their Te Mana o Te Wai rules”.

Despite the new Government being clear that Councils did not have to continue work on the Te Mana o Te Wai work, many (in fact, most) regional councils were ploughing ahead anyway!

Officials were literally spending millions to determine what Te Mana o Te Wai  meant and were set to impose rule that would have cost every local ratepayer tens of thousands of dollars.

My local regional council (Otago) is literally set to meet today to formally notify the new plan changes. The Government’s law change last night snookers them.

Last night’s urgent law now prevents councils from notifying new regional freshwater plans until after the Government has developed a new Fresh Water National Policy Statement.

This will draw to a halt plan changes that were likely to be notified over the next few months in Southland, Otago, Canterbury, Wellington and Taranaki.  It means that councils will have to wait for the new resource management laws which are expected in the second half of next year.

So while the law change doesn’t unwind any of the existing and complex water quality regulation, at least it stops the new rules about the water’s ‘stipital health’ and the so-called ‘mana of the water’.

As you can imagine, the luvvies were going ballistic on social media last night, and today’s ODT front page is predictably a little over the top.

"The Otago Regional Council will not vote today on tougher rules for the environment after an '11th hour' intervention by the government. 

After urging the council to pause work on its plan for the environment since late last year, yesterday the government moved to block any council from approving new rules before a new national policy statement for fresh water management (NPSFM) was in place."

But make no mistake, this is a win for the Taxpayers’ Union (and our friends at the Federated Farmers).  Reasonable minds can differ on how stringent water regulation should be – but these rules, based as much on race-based religious considerations as science, were always a step too far.

Jordan tells me that as recently as last week, Government Ministers were equivocating about whether to overrule the Councils and formally withdraw David Parker’s Policy Statement. Ngi Tahu in particular have been pressuring the Government that te mana o te wai is required under the Treaty.  Our concern also was that many regional councils would probably try to put through the rules anyway, even if the policy statement was withdrawn.

So last night’s last minute move in Parliament came as a very pleasant surprise. But make no mistake, this win (at the very last minute) should not be underestimated. Just a few months ago, the Nats were still telling the farming sector that te mana o te wai "is required by the Treaty".

So this is a win. Now comes the main event: the replacement Resource Management Act and ensuring that race-based planning and environment laws are rightly put on the scrap heap.

Thank you for making it possible, 

Peter Williams
Financial Supporter and Former Board Member
New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union

From: Peter Williams
Date: Saturday, 27 July 2024 at 8.55AM
Subject: RE: Campaign update on co-governance of water

Hi Friend,

Sorry to email on a Saturday, but I don't think this should wait.

Last month I wrote to you about the Government's failure to repeal David Parker's mad 'te Mana o te Wai' (literally meaning the mana of the water) requirements.

A few days ago, the research team at the Taxpayers’ Union were sent the details on how the rules are playing it out in my local area: Otago.

While we knew it would be expensive, even I didn’t think it would be this bad. 

The cost to comply for local ratepayers is tens of thousands per household.

Our friends at Federated Farmers were leaked confidential documents out of Otago Regional Council (and, given the mutual interest in this issue, have kindly shared them with the Taxpayers' Union team). Here's their summary:

Councils were required to give effect to the principle of Te Mana o Te Wai under the previous Government’s freshwater policies.

While the new Government has announced it will review the direction requiring this, their review is not yet complete.

It’s staggering that, despite the review, Otago Regional Council (ORC) is charging on and aiming to give legal effect to Te Mana o Te Wai this year.

We understand the council has reached a view that protecting the mana of water means no treated urban wastewater will be able to be discharged to waterways.

If this rule is implemented, it will no doubt mean billions of dollars of additional cost for Otago ratepayers, including farmers.

Current infrastructure, even though it treats water to an incredibly high standard, would need to be mothballed and replaced.

We also understand that, under the council’s definition of Te Mana o Te Wai, water from one river can’t mix with water from another.

If such a rule is implemented, it would cause major issues for irrigation schemes where water is stored and irrigated in an area where it may eventually enter a different catchment.

Again, none of this is to do with the scientific view of freshwater quality; it’s simply aiming to give effect to Te Mana o Te Wai.

According to the documents obtained by Federated Farmers, in at least two small towns in Central Otago, the cost of giving effect to Te Mana o te Wai will be more than $50,000 per residential ratepayer!

Quite rightly, Federated Farmers are calling on the Council to come clean.

And remember, this has nothing to do with health and well-being, and frankly it has very little to do with the environment. This isn’t being pushed through because it will help people, but because it will boost the mana of the water.

Frankly, the 'spiritual health' of the water should not come ahead of people’s ability to afford the groceries or human health – but that’s what the Te Mana o te Wai regulations says must happen! 

Your local council is next, ...

Otago is only the start. These requirements are being rolled out all over the country. The Government has promised to replace this broken law at some point in a few years.

But Friend, these costs are happening right now. Regional councils are spending millions as they are legally required to work with local iwi to determine what te Mana o te Wai means in their particular area.

As the plans are developed (and in Otago's case actually implemented) the special interests and expectations get bedded in.

The longer the Government waits, the harder these plans will be to unwind (and the more the special interests will complain to the media).

That's why we can’t afford to wait. And the solution is just the stroke of the Minister’s pen away: Ministers Chris Bishop and Simeon Brown can repeal David Parker's National Policy Statement on Freshwater Management which contains the te Mana o te Wai provisions.

The Taxpayers' Union and Federated Farmers are working to stop this dead in its tracks by asking Ministers to scrap Te Mana o te Wai.

Please join me in supporting the Taxpayers' Union, and the Federated Farmers, by emailing the Ministers.

It needs to happen now, not three years down the line after all the damage has been done. 

>> Email the Ministers <<

I appreciate that this water stuff is hugely complicated – these rules are totally different to the "Three Waters", but will affect local water supplies (and cause costs to skyrocket!) just the same.

The simple lesson is we can't ask councils to regulate "mana" or "life-force" of water as it's just a recipe for crazy costs and a poorer New Zealand.

Please join me in emailing the Ministers today.

Thanks for your support, 

Peter Williams
Financial Supporter and Former Board Member
New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union